Child of Darkness
by MoonGoddessShadow
Summary: Between Ranger duties, magic, troblins and love, Nick's not sure if life will ever be normal again. Throw in one seriously messed up heritage that won't leave him alone and you've got the recipe for one interesting summer. Some AU, NickMaddie.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Power Rangers, plain and simple. If I did, Nick would be shirtless more often, PR romances wouldn't be in the sad state they're in now and continuity would exist to some larger extent.

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"_A dark phoenix, raised in the light, shall bring an end to his beginnings."_

Koragg laughed when he heard the prophecy. "No dark child could be removed from the darkness," he stated confidently, crossing his arms. "We protect our own. Such a child could never flourish in the Light." The soothsayer shook her head negatively, pieces of lank hair falling from underneath her hood.

"Believe what you wish, but it is true. The Sight does not lie. Tell Morticon that he would be well advised to watch all the younglings within his domain, lest one ascend to the Surface World."

Behind his mask, Koragg scoffed. Soothsayers had never held much sway with him, being quite vague about the future under the claim that it was ever-changing, but both Morticon and his wife had a firm belief in their power. Morticon had ordered him to see this particular soothsayer, stating that he needed to know about the future of his army. The prophecy Koragg had heard would not go over well at the palace, not only for its foreboding message but for the lack of military direction it contained, but he tossed a few silver coins into a coffer and left.

The ride back to the palace was uneventful, save for the now routine stares that he drew, and as he thought, the soothsayer's words did not go over well. Koragg had to listen to nearly an hour's worth of ranting from Morticon–why had he not pressed for more military-oriented advice?; wouldn't she have better responded with the threat of bodily harm?; how could she give such an unrelated prophecy when she was under the employ of the Dark General himself?; his grievances had no end.

Somehow, the Wolf Knight escaped the machine-head's ravings, and was now riding his steed back home. The soothsayer's words pestered him as he rode, a spore in his mind that expanded and grew as he thought more of it. What if dark children could be raised in the Light? They would grow to be formidable foes with dual magic, and he would find it hard to kill one of his own kind, even if it meant his own destruction. He simply couldn't harm another follower of the darkness, not unless he wanted to destroy his honor in the process. But could such a child go against his darker instincts, even when nurtured by the Light? He knew himself the feelings that drove him, the rage and hatred; how could a child with such feelings flourish in the weak Light?

* * *

Though peace had reigned between the kingdoms of darkness and light for centuries, war had erupted in the last year. Skirmishes had dotted history for years, but now war was everything. Both he and his wife were mainstays on the battlefield, cutting down the warriors of light that were unfortunate enough to cross their paths. In between battles, news more grand than he ever could have expected arrived: his wife was pregnant. It caught him off guard, but he was overjoyed. She was no longer allowed on the battlefield, for the protection of the dark's future, and for several months he did not see her while she was confined at home.

While he hated them, his wife placed much trust in soothsayers, and sent news of the future one had predicted for their child. More than any warrior, what she wrote chilled him.

They were to have a son, that much he appreciated. But this son was going to be born with a tremendous power, paired with the ancient and feared power of the phoenix, one of the patron creatures of the Ancients. Though this pleased him greatly, it triggered something in the back of his mind. The phoenix... a dark phoenix... end to his beginnings... In a moment of realization, the pieces fell together neatly. If his son was going to be this dark phoenix that the soothsayer had foreseen all those months ago, then the boy was going to be kidnapped.

No. He would not let the boy be taken. Even though the child wasn't even born yet, Koragg felt a fierce protectiveness toward him. He'd fight to the death to protect his son. Over the months of the pregnancy, he fought more fiercely than every, obliterating any light soldier as a possible threat to his son.

On the eve of battle, he was called away with word that his wife had gone into labor. He raced to their home as soon as he could, but arrived too late: the boy was born and asleep in his mother's arms when Koragg finally arrived. The boy already had a shock of dark hair and, startlingly, brilliant green eyes. They searched for names, but nothing seemed to stick. Eventually, they agreed on one thing: he needed his true name. One of them would make the trip when the opportunity arose. Until then, he was just 'Boy.'

For a few weeks, they enjoyed a leave of absence from the war, spending all the time they could with their new child. He came into his powers quickly, and though he couldn't do much, Koragg often found bottles hovering over the boy's crib after being dragged out of bed by the child's crying.

They both received the call to war once again, as Morticon held no special place for the needs of infants above the needs of his own war movements. That meant leaving his son in the care of someone else, no matter how hard it was. He and his wife searched across the lands for candidates, finally selecting a highly trained, powerful sorceress. Every person he asked claimed that she was strong enough to kill hundreds of Styxoids with a single spell, but knew her place well enough to know what would happen if anything happened to the child.

Reluctantly, they left for war, their son in the hands of this sorceress. It felt good to once again be on the battlefield, but every moment in between was spent wondering about the safety of the boy. Every time a battle came close enough, one or both of them would visit the boy. The sorceress was more than capable, and the boy seemed at ease around her. All was fine.

When they won a particularly difficult battle, his wife was given leave. Though it meant not seeing her family for a month or two, both agreed that now was the time to find their son's name. She ventured to the South, taking up the dangerous and often deadly quest for a true name. He continued fighting, leading his own elite battalion against the forces of light. Many times, he came close to defeating their leader, the Fortisian warrior known as Ambrose. The Crimson Magician never struck a deadly blow to Koragg, though he had many opportunities to. While this puzzled the Wolf Warrior, he took it as general weakness on the light's part, and fought as viciously as ever.

Several months passed in this fashion, with his wife pursuing their child's name, and Koragg checking in on their son at every given opportunity. Slowly, though, something went awry. The sorceress-nurse began acting peculiar, saying things that should not have been said and doing things out of the ordinary. Occasionally, he could feel her casting spells, but her intent was hidden. In one day, all became clear.

She was a spy of the light, come to gather information and take the boy, who was the subject of light prophecies as well. As she incapacitated him, his wife returned, and the pair engaged in a tumultuous battle. In the end, his wife was slaughtered by the sorceress, who fled with the child. When he finally regained himself, he spent many weeks hunting the sorceress down, but war eventually called him back. The defeat of the darkness sealed him in the Underworld, damning him to an inescapable eternity without his wife or son. Fury built within him as the years passed, becoming much more vast as each year passed. He vowed that one day, no matter how long it took, he would find the sorceress, and that on that day, she would feel every bit of his mounting hatred.

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_A/N __-_ Okay, what do you guys think? Not my first PR fic, but my first up here. Rants/reviews accepted. I'm really into this story (I usually write some, even a little, every day), so I'm hoping to get it up pretty quickly. One thing though: I'm not sure where I'm going with the whole thing. I'm more of a 'fly by the seat of my pants' kind of girl anyway. EDIT: This is my revamped prologue. I've been meaning to do this for a while, so I figured I'd do something with my writer's block.


	2. Chapter One

"Will someone please help me?" pleaded the old man, looking pitifully to the surrounding crowd. "My brother is lost in the forest." With those simple words, most of the crowd gave incredulous looks, shook their heads and walked off. Maybe he didn't know enough about what went on in this forest, but that still seemed rude. The old guy just needed a hand with finding his brother. Besides, this felt important, like it was bigger than it seemed.

"Please, won't anybody help me?" the old man asked one last time, pleas desperate now. Wiping the sweat off of his brow and his hands on the oil rag he held, the young man spoke up.

"I'll help you. I could use a break from working on my bike." He stood up, jacket in hand, as the old man smiled and approached him. Another guy, around his own age, reached him first.

"Hi. The name's Xander," he stated jovially, sticking out his hand like a politician. The other young man took it hesitantly, not accustomed to such friendly strangers. "I don't recognize you, so you must be new in town. I know everyone here, and I've never seen you around before. Anyway, seeing as you're not from around here, I'll let you in on a little secret: no one goes into the forest. Not even strangers." The young man inwardly rolled his eyes, but kept his expression quietly determined.

"Hey, the old guy needs help. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going to let him walk away and do it by himself." For a second, the two young men stared each other down, until a girl about their age pushed him aside.

"Don't mind Xander," she said. "He may seem all brawn, but he's too fluffy for this. I'll help, though." The fierce gleam in her eyes made him grin, and he could've sworn he saw the old man smirking from the corner of his eyes. A moment later, another redheaded boy stepped forward with tremendous zeal.

"I'll go too. This'll be just like in my novels, right, V?" he asked the intense young woman next to him. She grinned and nodded. His smile widened, a fist punching into the air joyfully. "Yeah! You think we'll see a dragon?" The young woman he'd addressed as V rolled her eyes good-naturedly, used to her friend's exuberance. The old man stepped forward again.

"Will anyone else help?" he asked of the rest of the lingering crowd, more specifically addressed to the guy known as Xander and the young woman with dark hair beside him. They must have felt the way he directed the question towards them, as they suddenly became sheepish. When no one else responded to his question, he turned to the trio of teens.

"We must hurry. The longer we wait, the worse everything will become." The young man in the jacket arched his eyebrows questioningly, but followed the already leaving man alongside the other two.

The trip was relatively quiet and, seeming almost impossible, they managed to trek all the way to the forest, on the outer edge of Briarwood, in only ten minutes. The jacketed young man shook his head, swearing that it was at least twenty miles from where they had been and that it was impossible to travel so far by foot in such little time. The other two seemed nonplussed about it, whether they'd noticed or not.

Standing on the edge of the forest, he knew what Xander had meant. This place had a weird aura, like something beyond their world was within it. The old man had stopped on the edge, looking to each teen.

"Are you sure you are prepared for this?" he asked.

* * *

"Have we met before, dark wizard?" Udonna asked. "You seem familiar." Koragg sighed inwardly. He hated this kind of battle banter, but it did give him precious time to think and rest.

"As do you, white witch," he growled back. Anything to keep her occupied. But there was something about her, something in her aura. He briefly thought that she might be the sorceress who stole his son away from him, but pushed the thought aside. Her aura was familiar, but not close enough to be the sorceress. Still, it tugged on something on the back of his mind.

Forcibly focusing himself only on the fight, he lunged forward, sword in hand, and went to deal a killing blow. He would have succeeded in doing more than knocking her unconscious if he hadn't been distracted by four voices to his right.

"Magical source, Mystic Force!"

A quartet of colors burst onto his vision for only a second before dying away and leaving four Rangers in its wake, all brandishing similar wands. Koragg, over the shock of their sudden arrival, only chuckled darkly and turned to them, noticing the lack of a Red. With no leader, they'd be hard-pressed to win. They were easy pickings.

With the white witch unconscious, he dove into battle with them, first taking them all on at once, then one by one as he knocked others away. Within minutes, they'd all been severely weakened and exhausted. Only the Yellow put up a real fight, seeming to have a real passion for this kind of fighting, and even he went down with the others after a few more minutes.

Now, with all the Rangers down, he stood at their feet and laughed maliciously. Slowly, he lowered his sword to the Blue's neck. His mind registered a low buzzing in the distance, but ignored it.

"Now, should I take you first?" he asked the quivering Blue. She was trying to get up, but her body was protesting. Inside his helmet, Koragg smiled. He moved his blade to the Green's neck. "Or maybe I should take you out. You are the leader without Red." The Green shakily propped himself up on his elbows, and Koragg thought he could see the boy smiling behind his helmet.

"Now, come on, can't we resolve this peacefully? I'm Xander, and these are my friends Madison, Chip and Vi-" Koragg growled, causing the talkative Green to swallow loudly. The Knight Wolf moved his blade to the Pink's neck.

"Maybe I'll kill you first. I never did like Pink."

"Neither did I," she quipped back, ever brave in the face of danger. He quietly smiled and moved his sword to the Yellow's throat.

"I would kill you first, but I think I'll do you last instead. That way we can fight, and I can kill you battle."

The buzzing in the distance grew closer as the Yellow snarled back, "You'll never kill us. We're the Power Rangers!"

"Oh, contraire. I already have you just where I want you. Now," he said, turning back to the Blue, "I think I will kill you first." He raised his blade, preparing to swing down, when the buzzing noise, now a roar, ripped through the foliage over his head. It was another teenager, riding a vehicle from the surface world. This new teenager jumped off the device, throwing off his helmet as he came down.

Just looking at this stranger, Koragg was struck by how familiar those eyes were. At the same time, he was hit by an overwhelming aura of power. This boy had more power than the other four by far. He hadn't payed much attention to the others power-wise, but he knew that they were nothing compared to this boy. His aura flowed with energies from both worlds.

He came down hard and fast. Koragg instinctively raised his sword at the same time the boy shouted "I believe!". His body was engulfed by a blazing red light, throwing Koragg back as his sword and the boy connected.

When he landed, the boy's surface clothes had been replaced by traditional wizard's garb. Confidence shone out of his green eyes, a stark difference against his dark hair and skin. He held up a wooden wand, one Koragg hadn't seen in ages, not since the Great Battle.

"Power of the phoenix!" the boy shouted, propelled forward by the flames suddenly surrounding his form. The phoenix? Could this boy be...? No. He wasn't. Koragg pushed the false hope from his mind and braced himself as the young wizard hit him full force. He flew back, hitting a tree and cracking it in half. So this was the fifth warrior spoken of...

The others began to regroup around the phoenix boy, giving them all a new air of confidence. The Blue in particular seemed empowered by his presence.

"You came back!" she said, glee barely hidden in her voice.

"Nice of you to show up, mate," said the Green, patting the phoenix on the back. "And stellar time to break out the belief."

"Nice firepower," the Yellow said with an awed voice.

"Way to save the day!" the Pink added. "You really saved our hides there, Nick." Nick? Okay, that definitely cemented that lingering thought in Koragg's mind. It was no longer false hope; the boy, his boy, was standing before him. The eyes, the hair and skin, the aura, the power of the phoenix - it was all no coincidence.

All that ran through his head as the Rangers all turned to look at him. He hadn't moved since Nick had attacked him, and it was becoming suspicious. Nick stepped forward, wand extended toward Koragg's helmet.

"Now, should I just get it over with now, or should we let you retreat and nurse your bruised ego?" he asked. The others couldn't see it, and Nick himself probably didn't know it was there, but a dark gleam shimmered behind his bright green eyes, so much like his mother's. Even his words bore traces of a darker intent than most Rangers could ever muster. This boy, though raised and tainted by the light, still had hints of the darkness in his actions.

Deciding quickly what to do, Koragg muttered a spell and sank back into the Underworld. As he faded downward, Nick heard his departing words.

"Embrace the darkness, my son." And, with a shimmer of purple light, he was gone. Nick suddenly felt a weight lift off him and he realized what exactly was going on around him. It was all undeniably strange, but felt oddly right. He grinned at the feeling and looked at the others.

"Hey," he said, taking in their colorful suits with a smile. The others demorphed and gathered around him.

"Great job, mate!" said Xander, grabbing Nick's shoulder and squeezing.

"C'mon, let's get Udonna and get back to Root Core before anything else shows up," Vida suggested, not wishing to fight anyone else today. They all silently agreed, bending over her body and lifting. Chip led the way back, the whole time imitating Nick's entrance and fight. Everyone else laughed and joked around, but they didn't notice Nick's slight delay in laughing or smiling. All except Maddie. She hadn't heard what Koragg had said, but she knew that those words were the reason Nick seemed so off, so disconnected from the rest, and she was determined to find out why.

_

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_

_A/N_ - Okay, I had to play with the end for a while before it finally felt right, but now I think it's pretty good. It's definitely better than the original ending for this chapter. I like Nick's entrance, too. I can kind of see it happening in my head, especially the look in his eyes when he's got Koragg at wandpoint (is that a word? Probably not).

Thanks for the reviews, CallingGirl, jean, Amanda, Ant Crown and animezebra. You don't know how elated I was to see your reviews. This chapter is dedicated to you guys.


	3. Chapter Two

"That was just so ... amazing! The way you came in on your motorcycle ... " Chip walked into Root Core, pretending to rev a motorcycle engine and making the complimentary noises. The other four walked in after him, grinning. They gently laid Udonna's body down as Clare ran in, looking frazzled as usual.

"Omigosh, what happened?" she said frantically, checking Udonna over and taking her pulse. Xander stepped forward, smiling in his charming way, and looked her in the eyes.

"She's fine. Just got hit in the head by Koragg," he said calmly. "You should probably take her somewhere else and put her on a bed. We can't very well leave her on the floor, now can we?" She nodded nervously and looked to her mentor's closed eyes. "She'll be fine, Clare. Just help me move her. In fact, Chip, would you come over here to help us?" Chip paused midway through reenacting their battle, and looked at his Australian friend.

"Aw, come on Xander. I was just getting to the good part." Xander just gave him a hard glare, sending the Yellow Ranger instantly into a jog toward his friends and mentor. He put a hand under Udonna's back and lifted with Xander and Clare. The three made their way off through one of the various doorways in the Root Core atrium, leaving Vida, Madison and Nick standing quietly there.

Vida was the first to move, heading over to the table in the center of the room and pulling her mp3 player out of one of her pants' many pockets. Madison smiled.

"What?" Vida asked. "They were in my only pants when we changed. Where else would they go?" Maddie smiled again, and shrugged.

"You got me there," she replied, taking her spot at the table. She looked at Nick, who was still standing where they'd all stopped in the entrance. "Hey, Nick, why don't you come over here and sit down by us?" she asked, projecting more courage than she felt. She'd never been good with guys, or people in general. Vida had gotten her cosmic share of people skills and then some.

Fortunately, Nick seemed to hear her, because she didn't think she had the guts to ask again. He wandered slowly over to his chair and sunk down. She just looked at him once or twice, took in the swirl of emotions raging in his eyes - _his gorgeous green eyes,_ she thought to herself - and decided that she wouldn't confront him just yet. He looked like he needed some time to think.

So many thoughts whirled around his head, it could hardly be called thinking. He was lost in a flurry of his own mind. It took him a few more minutes before everything slowed down enough to a point where he could grasp a single thought and follow it.

_Embrace the darkness. _How had Koragg known about his latent dark side? He had let it slip a bit when he threatened the Knight Wolf, but was that enough? Or was it just Nick's mind spinning words into a new meaning? Was he overanalyzing it? But how else could he take those words?

Maybe it was just obvious, and even the other Rangers were afraid of him. If that was true, then he'd know soon enough. Weird things always happened to people when he found out that they'd lied to him, or when they tried to hurt him. His dark side began to creep out and he'd start alienating anyone and everyone. That's why he'd never stayed anywhere too long. If he didn't leave, people usually ended up hurt or angry. Eventually, he'd probably have to leave Briarwood, too.

But even more frightening was the fact that Koragg had called him 'son'. Why did that sound so ... right? He had a father, a whole family, albeit an adoptive one. But when Koragg said it, it struck a chord deep within Nick. It just wasn't possible, though. Today was the first time Nick had ever been in the woods. He'd lived in California since he was born. Maybe it was just Koragg's innate darkness reaching out to Nick's.

Maddie looked over at her conflicted friends' face and sighed. She had spent the last ten silent minutes not reading, like she had pretended to be doing, but gathering the courage to talk to him. Finally she spoke up, hoping she wouldn't choke.

"Nick? Are you okay?" Her words interrupted his thoughts, making him look up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said unconvincingly. Maddie gave him a knowing look and, drawing on the fact that she hadn't screwed up yet, she moved over to the chair next to him.

"Come on," she responded, "I'm not that stupid. There's something wrong. I can just tell. It seems serious, too." Her heart was racing, not only from being so close to Nick, but from the sheer fact that she was confronting him and she hadn't stumbled yet.

Hesitantly, he looked into her soft grey-blue eyes. As hard as it would be to lie, something inside him compelled him to look at her. Seeing those merciful grey depths made him feel at ease, despite the turmoil he had been in just seconds earlier.

"I'm just thinking about what happened today." Okay, so it wasn't exactly lying, but it still made him feel terrible. Lying to Maddie, in any form, felt wrong. She knew that he wasn't telling the whole truth, but decided to let it go and let him finish. "I mean, a lot has happened in the course of one day. Earthquakes, sorceresses, magic, you guys ... " Maddie blushed and smiled.

"I know what you mean. Yesterday, I was just the girl behind the camera working at a record shop and now -"

"Now you're an all-powerful witch with the mastery of all things liquid?" Nick joked, getting a nod and grin out of the girl. "Yeah, I get it. If you'd said yesterday that I'd be the Red Power Ranger, something that most little kids just dream about, and be the mystical phoenix, I'd probably have told you that you were nuts."

"Nah, I don't think it's that crazy, seeing all the weird things that happen in Briarwood as it is. And, in its own way, it's kind of logical. I mean, weird stuff has happened to the four of us our whole lives. I guess we always had the spark of magic in us." Nick's eyes went wide.

"Weird stuff has always happened to you guys, too?"

"Yeah," replied Maddie, so much more comfortable with Nick now after talking for a bit. Maybe it was his smile ... No. Daydreaming later. Stories now. "There was this time when I was six. Our dog totally tore apart my favorite doll. I cried for hours, wishing that it was okay again. I thought I'd never be happy again without it. Eventually, I cried myself to sleep. When I woke up, there it was in my arms, like nothing had ever happened to it."

"Couldn't your mom have replaced it or sewn it back up or something?"

"No way!" she replied with a feigned look of disgust on her face. "My grandmom made it for me. It was totally irreplaceable. And my mom's no genius with a needle. The thing was beyond repair as it was." Nick still looked skeptical. "What? You still don't believe me? Okay, then I'll make you a believer. Back when we were eleven, Chip came down with a serious case of pneumonia. Veed and I stayed with him day and night, and even Xander showed up for six or seven hours every day. His parents were a lot stricter about that kind of thing than Veed and I's. But the guy came for as long as he could every day, and we spent the whole time sharing memories about him and hoping he got better. The doctors told us that if he didn't wake up soon, he'd probably end up a vegetable. But we had this fierce confidence that he'd bounce back like he always did. One day a couple days later, we came back from eating lunch and he was gone. We freaked out and thought they'd moved him to the extended stay ward. Then he walked out of the bathroom and just grinned his goofy Chip grin. The doctors said it was a complete miracle."

She paused to breathe. Her nervousness around Nick had begun to melt away, at least to the point where she felt comfortable talking to him openly, kind of like how she felt around her other friends. But her feelings for him ... They were more than friendly. But he'd never return them. Guys like him never went for shy girls like her. She was the girl who was always the friend, never the girlfriend.

Pulling herself away from those thoughts, she jumped back into the conversation. "So how about you? You sound like you could relate to those kind of unexplained things happening to you." Suddenly, Nick felt a little apprehensive about this conversation.

"Well ... " he said, glancing away from Madison, "yeah, I can sort of relate."

His uncomfortable demeanor was not lost on Madison, who started mentally berating herself for messing up whatever they had built over the past few minutes. "So, do you want to share or are you going to hold out on me?" she asked, putting on a happy facade.

"Uhhhhh ... " Nick pretended to try and think of a time, but in reality, he remembered each and every time quite vividly. He was just trying to find one time that wouldn't scare her too much. He didn't want to destroy whatever they'd built up over the course of the past few minutes. He liked her, liked her a lot, and he liked having friends. Some of his stories would freak them out to the point of them never wanting to talk to him again. He really didn't want to end it all so soon.

"Let's see ... Promise not to freak out? Most of my weird things are kind of ... bad." He said the last word with a slight wince, as if hurting him just to admit it. Maddie only nodded, intrigued by his honesty about something that looked to be, well, painful. "Well, when I was fourteen, I was staying at my grandparent's house because my parents were working abroad again. One day some of my cousins came over and one of them was a real jerk. I was just trying to read a magazine in my room and the guy came in and wouldn't leave me alone. Finally, I got fed up and just punched him in the nose and went back to reading. He got pissed and punched me back. We got into a huge fight and he ended up getting that upper hand. I mean, he was bigger and older. How could he not? And then suddenly, I got angry, angrier than I'd ever been. I swear I literally saw red. I just lost control of myself. I threw out my hands to push him off me hard and let out this battle cry that seems really cheesy in retrospect When my hands touched him, he started to scream and fell back off me. Everyone else in the house rushed in, and my grandma freaked. When I got up and looked at my cousin, he scorch marks on his chest in the perfect shape of my hands. Hell, he was still smoldering. My grandpa had to take him to the hospital for second degree burns." Nick looked back at Maddie, expecting to see her looking horrified and repulsed by his very presence, but he was pleasantly surprised. She just nodded knowingly.

"We can hardly control our magic now," she said, "so how could you then?"

Nick looked at her incredulously. "Wait, back up. You're not freaked out?"

"No way. Come on, Nick. We all have our bad moments."

"Some of us more than others," he muttered. She smiled sweetly and draped her arm over his shoulders, a bold move for her that sent her heart racing. Inwardly, his heart leapt up and down, but he still looked pensive. "It's just that bad shit like that has happened to me my whole life. It follows me around like the plague. I don't want to hurt anyone, so I move before I do. That's why I'm always going somewhere else after a few weeks." He found that opening up to Maddie was far easier than he'd thought. She was so ... great, wonderful, accepting, open, kind, choose any compliment, and she was it.

"Wow," she replied. "I can see why you couldn't believe in magic at first. If you did, it would mean that you'd have to accept that you caused all that. So why the change of heart?" He gave her a sheepish smile.

"I had a vision." She raised an eyebrow. "No, honest truth. I was riding my bike out of town when all of a sudden, all I can see is Koragg kicking your guys' butts. I figured that even if I didn't want to believe, I had to if I wanted to save you guys. Especially you," he said, taking her arm off his shoulder. She thought for a moment that maybe she had been too bold, but then he wrapped his hand around hers. She blushed and glanced away, all her confidence lost in the storm of butterflies in her stomach.

"Why me?"

"Because you were the only one who told me to stay. And," he said nervously, glancing away from her, "I think you're beautiful." If she hadn't been blushing before, she definitely was now. Nick snuck a look at her, and smiled.

"Oh, c'mon. Don't deny it," he said. "It's true. You are the most gorgeous girl I've ever met. And believe me, I've met some cute chicks." He couldn't believe these words were spilling out of his mouth. He didn't know how or why, but he couldn't stop them. As he said it, though, he knew that every word was true. He looked at her bright red face, saw the slight smile that was creeping over her lips, and smiled back. Grabbing her chin gently, he turned her head so she'd look at him. "You are gorgeous and smart and shy and ... " He paused, searching her face for a reaction. She simply blushed harder, if that was possible, and smiled a bit more. "... and perfect." Without warning, he leaned in to kiss her.

At first, she froze, not expecting him to do that. She'd never been kissed by a guy and she definitely wasn't expecting it from a guy like Nick. Then, with a euphoric single thought, she realized that maybe he did like her, and began kissing him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, and never wanting this to end.

He didn't know exactly what compelled him to kiss her. He was never that forward with a girl. When she began to kiss him back, he realized that she liked him just as much as he liked her, and there, in that moment, the world was in perfect balance.

They only broke apart when they felt the stares of Chip, Xander and Vida burning through them. Nick in particular could feel the venom stare Vida was giving him, one that said 'I swear to god, if you hurt her, I'll tear you limb from limb in the slowest and most painful way possible'. Both kissers blushed intensely, faces burning brightly. Madison, too embarrassed to handle whatever was coming next, got up quickly and rushed out into the forest. Xander was the first to break the silence.

"Well, I think Maddie's made a new friend," he said, grinning ear to ear. Vida continued her death-stare while Chip smiled a bit absently.

"I sure hope he doesn't kiss all his new friends like that," the Yellow Ranger said in a slightly oblivious tone. Nick tried to stammer an excuse, but Vida, now done with her death-stare, cut him off, leaning in close to his face.

"I swear, if you break her heart, I'll make sure you can see yours," she growled menacingly. She glared at him for another few seconds before stalking off, Xander and Chip in tow.

Nick just sat on his chair, stunned and bewildered by the events of the past minute. Whatever had made him do it, he liked it. It was a great feeling, kissing Maddie, and he was disappointed that it was over. But somehow he knew that he'd get the chance again, and then, he'd never stop.

* * *

Koragg stared into the scrying pool, watching again and again everything that had transpired since Nick's entrance. It was no coincidence that he'd found his son now. He just didn't know what to do now that he'd found him.

And he was the leader, the one that, if it had been any other person, Koragg would've destroyed first. Without their leader, Rangers were weaker somehow, less unified. But he couldn't kill his son. He just couldn't. Even through the years of feeding his rage, the soft spot for his son lingered.

In his turmoil, he was still pleased. The boy still had a seed of darkness in him. Somehow he had to get to Nick, lure him to the darkness, nurture this seed. If he dropped this bombshell on him too quickly, Nick would just think he was lying and pull farther away into the light. He needed to destroy something the boy cared about and plant the idea that only he could help him. But what?

Something in the scrying pool caught his eye. While he was thinking, he'd absently let the pool follow Nick after the battle. Now it showed him passionately kissing a beautiful girl within Root Core. He smirked. Yes ... This could work. If he loved this girl, then she would work perfectly against him.

But he had to bide his time now. Taking the girl would only strengthen Nick's resolve. Koragg had to get the boy to find out about his heritage on his own. Trying to figure out how, his eyes drifted around the cave that he was in. They fell on the Snow Staff mounted on the wall, so pristine and white in the vile darkness. He could use that to subtly plant ideas in his son's mind, drive him inch by inch to the darkness. And then, when Nick knew of his darkness and was at his weakest, he would strike.

_

* * *

_

_A/N_ - I've got mixed feelings about this chapter. I love the NickMadison stuff, but the end is bothering me. It took forever just to get it there, and I'm not even sure I like it. I might come back and change it later.

If you don't include the ending, though, this is probably my favorite chapter out of everything I've written so far. I'm still not too sure where this is going, but I kind of have an idea for an end. I just hope I can get there without it feeling too forced.

On a different note, I have a little poll for you guys: Who's your favorite PR couple/pairing? Obviously I'm a big NickMadison fan, but I like some BridgeZ stuff, too. I just think it's kind of cute when those two are together, not to mention I'm a huge Bridge Carson fan. I'm crazy about him. Sad, huh? TommyKim, JasonTrini and KiraTrent are some other favorites of mine.

Thanks again, you guys, for the reviews. You don't know how excited I get when I see them in my inbox. Hopefully some of the questions you guys have put out will get answered. Some questions have even made me wonder, and add stuff to the story because I never thought of it. I'd have a lot less material in my head if not for some of your questions.


	4. Chapter Three

"Clare, slow down," Nick said, motioning his hands calmly. "Now, tell me again what happened, and in English this time."

A very frazzled Clare, twigs in her hair and stickleberry stains on her dress, took in a few loud breaths before she tried telling Nick again.

"I was g-getting some stuff for a protection potion when this giant underground worm thing came up a-and almost got me, but then this smelly, ugly thing pushed me out of the way and ran off, so then I ran back here and now here I am."

Nick sighed. A few minutes ago, he had been the only person in Root Core. Trying to study a few spells before he had to go to work at the Rock Porium, a job which Maddie had gotten him without him really wanting it, he'd been startled to see Clare barge in, wild-eyed and babbling incoherently. He had tried to calm her down, and had finally succeeded after several minutes. But even after a week of magic and Ranger duties, he found himself feeling apprehensive about her story.

"Are you sure that's what happened, and you didn't just imagine it? Maybe you just tripped and thought you saw a giant worm." She shook her head frantically. "No? Okay, you know what? If it'll make you feel better, I'll go check it out. Is that okay?" She nodded slowly. "Okay, I'm going. You stay here." He sat her down, somewhat forcefully, in his chair and turned to leave, checking on her once before walking out the dragon's mouth and into the forest.

He stopped a few feet from the already closing entrance, unsure of what to do now. If this thing really was underground, how was he supposed to find it? Xander would've had an easier time with this. There was nothing Nick could do unless this thing attacked him, so he opted to wander the forest, waiting and thinking.

He hadn't been able to talk to Maddie since she ran out a week ago. Yeah, he'd seen her at work and even at Root Core, but they hadn't really talked. It was always mindless chatter, never really discussing what had happened. He was kind of afraid to though, seeing as Vida gave him a strange, threatening glare every time she saw him. That girl could be downright scary if she wanted to. Not to mention the fact that Xander, Vida and even Chip all made him swear under penalty of death that his intentions with Maddie were nothing but honorable and that they'd do unspeakable things to him if her hurt her.

But no Maddie yet. He'd tried to talk to her, but somehow he always got dragged off by Leelee or called away by Ranger duties. It was becoming downright annoying.

_So where's the courageous phoenix now?_ he thought to himself. Wrapped up in so many thoughts, he didn't notice where his feet were carrying him, or the distant rumbling beneath his feet.

He wanted to say he was sorry for being so forward, for making things so weird between them. Even if she did like him back, maybe she hadn't wanted to admit it and he'd just forced her to. But how was he supposed to apologize to her when he couldn't even get the guts to talk to her?

Unfortunately, that train of thought was stopped in the station when something burst out of the ground in front of Nick, howling and spewing dirt everywhere. He caught a fleeting glimpse of the beast as he started to pull out his wand, but before he could use a spell, his body slammed into the ground hard. For a moment, he thought the thing - a massive worm, his mind finally registered - had gotten to him first, but then he realized that there was something heavy and disgusting smelling on top of him. Before he could get a good look at it, the weight was gone, a rough yell echoing behind it.

Nick looked up in time to see something hairy disappear into the worm's fanged mouth. Great. The worm had killed whatever it was that saved him. At least he'd found what had attacked Clare.

He stood up and paused for a moment, unsure of what to do. There hadn't been any spells to get rid of gigantic worms so far in any of the books he read, but he had to make it go away somehow. In his moment of indecision, the worm swung it's exposed half at the young wizard, throwing him nearly fifty feet. As he hit the ground forcefully, a flash of red and white exploded in his vision and he became momentarily lightheaded. He struggled to his feet, dizzy and breathing hard, mind racing on how to get rid of this thing once and for all.

'_Expello Hydras_,' a voice whispered in the back of his mind. He whipped his head around, trying to find the speaker. No one. There was absolutely no one in his general vicinity, unless you counted the giant worm, but he was pretty sure it couldn't talk, let alone whisper spells.

The creature lunged at him, howling fiercely and spewing thick saliva everywhere. Nick, figuring it was worth a try, held up his wand and shouted "_Expello Hydras!_"

Instantaneously, the worm stopped, all movement completely stopped. A spell seal, shimmering both gold and violet, flared up around the part of its body protruding from the ground. It began to suck the worm downward as the beast unfroze, now writhing madly. Nick covered his ears as the thing wailed in an unearthly tone, being taken down unwillingly. Just before its head disappeared underground, something flew out of its mouth, yelling barbarically.

The thing - it looked vaguely human - landed a few feet from the Red Ranger and coughed.

"That's right," it called out to the space where the worm had been in a raspy voice, "no troblin for you tonight! No eatin' me!" It stood up shakily and brushed itself off, not that it made any difference. The troblin - that's what it called itself - was hairy, dirty, covered in the worm's mucus-like saliva and, above all, smelled disgusting.

"Who are you?" Nick asked warily. He wasn't sure whether or not he should be talking to this thing. The troblin looked at him as if he'd just noticed Nick was there.

"Well, hello, hello!" it said, stepping toward Nick and putting his right hand forward. "I'm Phineas. Just Phineas. Pleased to meet you." Nick took the troblin's hand, carrying a long trail of goo along with his own when they stopped.

"Umm ... Hi. I'm Nick," the Red responded slowly. "Hey, um, thanks for saving me back there." He looked grateful and a tad confused. "That _was_ you, wasn't it?"

Phineas nodded vigorously. "Yessir, it was. Saved your sorceress friend earlier, too."

"You mean Clare? That was you, too?" Phineas nodded, smiling broadly. Nick grinned back. "Well, thanks. If that worm had gotten her, Udonna would've freaked out."

"Don't mention it," Phineas said proudly, looking over Nick. "So where are you from? You're not from around here, to be sure, to be sure. But we could feel your magic in the Hydras' gut, couldn't we?" He asked the last question to the air next to him, as if there was someone there. This schizophrenic behaviour was freaking Nick out a bit.

"I'm, uh, from California. Name's Nick."

"California, eh? Never heard of it. Have you?" he asked his apparently invisible, imaginary friend. "Nuh-uh. Didn't think so. Uh-huh. An ugly one, to be sure, to be sure." He looked at Nick again. "So, Nick, if you aren't from here, then why are you here? And why are you all dressed up like a wizard?"

"I am a wizard," he replied quickly. Saying it still sounded weird to him. Wizard. He was a wizard. "See, Udonna made me and my friends Power Rangers and I was out here to find the thing that attacked our friend Clare. I guess I did," he added sheepishly.

"Right you did. And you found me, too. But howabout that banishing spell you used on the worm? Did a real number on it, didn't he?" he asked into the empty space next to him yet again. "Where'd you learn that magic?"

This question made Nick feel slightly awkward. He didn't know if it was weird in the magical world to have spells just come to you.

"Well ... I just ... It kinda ... It just kinda came to me."

Phineas seemed unfazed. "It was nice," he laughed. "And that was one strong spell. But what kind of magic was it?"

"What do you mean?" Nick asked, cocking his head slightly to the left in a confused gesture.

"I mean, why was your spell circle gold and purple?" Nick still seemed perplexed. "You know, good and evil?" He said the last word with a discreet edge of sharpness in his voice.

"What? No way." Nick replied incredulously, shaking his head firmly. "Why would my circle be good and evil? How is that even possible?"

"Don't ask me, I'm just pointing it out." Phineas threw his hands up innocently, as if Nick was accusing him of something. Nick tried to remember back only a few minutes, but everything had flown by so quickly. Faintly, the image of the worm being pulled down floated to the top of his mind.

"Oh, god," he whispered, trying to cast the picture from his head. The circle had been golden-purple. "But what does that mean? How in the hell can a circle be good and evil?" Through his confusion, something occurred to him. "What if Udonna finds out? What'll she think?" Phineas' interest was piqued.

"Udonna, huh? We know her. Powerful sorceress in her own right. What's that?" he asked his nonexistent friend. "Oh, right. Way back in the day during the Great War she used to take kids from the dark and even the light and put them in the surface world so they wouldn't grow up evil and the darkness couldn't get 'um. Used to take kids from under their parents' noses before they could blink. Sometimes she did it with permission of the parents, though, because they knew it was what was best for everyone. But man, did she make some powerful people angry. Koragg's still got it out for her, don't think he knows it's her, though ... " The way he talked, it was like he knew something special, like there was a huge secret that he wasn't telling Nick or anyone else.

The troblin kept rambling on, though Nick's attention had trickled away to more meaningful thoughts. He'd done dark magic ... Or had it been good magic? He wasn't quite sure. None of their magical studies had talked about golden-purple circles that were good and evil. Did this make him evil? Could good wizards do dark magic?

Nick was fairly sure he wasn't evil. He didn't feel evil. Sometimes bad things happened when he was angry, but he couldn't control that. He was a Power Ranger, one of the good guys. There was no way he was evil. But then what had he done? It wasn't good magic and it wasn't dark.

He groaned and shook his head. Once again, he'd followed his damned instinct, and now he had no idea what he'd done.

_At least no one got hurt this time,_ he thought reassuringly.

"... And that's why I'll never touch a mandalor again," Phineas said with a tone of finality, bringing Nick back to reality. The Red Ranger briefly wondered exactly how Phineas' story had gotten from his original point to mandalors before his thoughts drifted to other things, like heading back to Root Core. He might be able to find some answers there.

"I'm sorry, man, but I've got to go," he said absently. Without another word, he stalked off, engulfed by his thoughts once again. Phineas only watched the young wizard walk away, both frowning and grinning internally. It was the boy. Everything was about to get interesting in the woods.

"Fine," the troblin said with mock hurt in his voice. "You're welcome!"

* * *

His eyes raced over the books lining the shelves in Root Core. He thought he'd seen a book earlier, one that would shed light on his situation. Now it seemed to be gone.

"Dammit!" Nick shouted, slamming his fist on a shelf in anger. A tiny spark jumped from his hand onto a book, with lit up instantly. Thousand-year-old parchment wasn't quite fire-retardant. "Oh, shit!" he yelled, not bothering to restrain his language. He jumped back from the already spreading flames, wand in hand. Racking his mind for useful spells, he found none, but a thread of one was working its way into his head.

'_Unda profusum.'_ Two simple words, but Nick was hesitant to use them. The last spell that he had received in the same way had only confused him more. Albeit, it had worked, and it had worked well, but that wasn't the point. He didn't even know what this spell did. For all he knew, it would blow the place up. Clare and Udonna were both gone, looking for ingredients for a protection potion.

But ... the last spell had done any harm, had it? It had helped both Phineas and himself, not to mention anyone else the beast would've terrorized. There was no other way Nick saw to stop it. As much as he just wanted to use his pyrokinesis, he didn't have a great control over it yet. He'd probably end up burning down the place even quicker. And it was already spreading fast.

"_Unda profusum!_" he shouted before he could change his mind. For a moment, he cringed, fully expecting Root Core to be blown to smithereens, but when he didn't feel an explosion, he opened one eye and peeked out. A small stream of water was issuing from his wand tip, dousing most of the fire instantly. He quickly moved to cover the remaining flames, breathing a sigh of relief when all that was left was a little steam and some burnt, soggy tomes.

He breathed a sigh of relief until he realized that it was going to be awkward explain to Udonna just why there were several burnt, soggy tomes. For a frantic minute, he panicked, before a spell ran through his mind. He grabbed it hastily and put it to use.

"_Restituo libri!_" A jet of red light enveloped the damaged books, which mended and dried themselves with astounding speed. After only a few seconds, the light was gone and you'd never guessed that just minutes before those books had been on fire.

Inwardly, Nick smiled. This gut instinct spell thing wasn't that bad. It had saved him from a couple very awkward explanations. Sure, it had given him a spell that had caused a lot of confusion, but it had saved him from a giant worm. Without it, he could've been dead. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but he knew Phineas would probably have died. Was that a bad thing? Yes, yes it was. He had the feeling that Phineas was more important than he seemed and could even help them later on, even if it was in his own weird way. Nick decided just to accept it for now. If it caused any real problems, then he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

Now, though, he felt exhausted. Not many people could say they took down a giant Hydra Worm, met a troblin and set a bunch of books on fire, only to put them out with magic, in one day. In fact, he was probably the only one who could say that.

Today alone had been strenuous, but when you factored in the past few days, he thought he might just collapse. Go to work, go to Root Core, fight monsters (it had been some thing named Mucor yesterday - Nick still felt sick when he thought about what he'd been covered in when it spit him out), go home, start over. Even his weekends were full now. When he wasn't working, he was studying. Being a Ranger was a lot tougher than news reports made it seem. Did other teams have to deal with this kind of load?

Nick fell ungracefully into a chair and threw his head back, trying to work out the tension in his neck. Helmets may keep the devastating blows from killing you, but they sure weren't designed for a comfortable neck. Rolling his head around, a shimmer caught his eye. Something on the bookshelf, something he hadn't noticed before.

He closed his eyes, decidedly ignoring it, and began to roll his head around again. As much as he threw himself at other thoughts, his mind kept drifting back to the shimmer. Something about it was fascinating and frightening to him. Nonchalantly, he peeked out of the corner of an eye. Still there. The damn shimmer was still there.

He couldn't stand it anymore. Jumping up and crossed the room in three easy strides, he touched the sparkle. Instantly, it shifted into a book. The Ranger, with all the weird things he'd caused in his lifetime, was still startled by such a comparatively regular thing. He took a moment to recover from the shock before touching the book. When it stayed in a regular book form, he assumed that nothing else would happen, and wrapped his fingers around the spine. Quickly returning to his chair, he read the cover with some enthusiasm.

"On the Nature of Magicks Goode, Evile and Intertwined," he whispered quietly, interest piqued. The title seemed uncannily catered to his situation. It couldn't be a coincidence, as Udonna was always telling them that there were no such things as coincidences, that everything happened for a reason. Somehow, Nick knew that this book had found its way to Root Core for the sole purpose of being found in this exact moment, to be in his hands right now.

Both afraid of and excited to see what lay inside, he flipped to the third and final section on the book, entitled 'On the Intertwined Magick of Balance', skipping over the sections on 'Goode' and 'Evile' magic. He eagerly read the first paragraph aloud.

"'Magick, while neither goode nor evile inherently, is influenced by the user's persuasion in either direction. Those of a goode heart will generally wield goode magick, and for those of a dark soul, dark magick. In a rare occasion, though, those who possess both a goode heart and a dark soul, or vice versa, may wield both magicks in a style known as balanced magick, in addition to having tremendous magickal skill.

"'Most occurrences have been found in those who were taken from their native land and placed in the opposite before they were raised in their native ways, therefore occurring most often in children who are not yet old enough to embrace their heritage. Though such an act of kidnapping is rare, it results in a child with magick more powerful than would be the norm. Their magick is neither goode nor evile in cases when the spell is not intended as such, but rather in an act of complete spontaneity. These random, powerful spells are considered a rare act of magick intertwined.'"

Nick paused, mulling the passage over. There was no way he was one of those children, taken from their land. If he was, that would mean that he was from the darkness, seeing as he lived in what was considered the light. Sure, it could explain his dark side, and the uncontrollable bouts of magic, but it wasn't possible. Sure, he was adopted, but that didn't mean anything. His parents had adopted him from an adoption agency near Reefside. He read on, hoping to find other answers.

"'The most infamous instance of removing children from their lands happened during the Great War, when infants were taken from prominent dark and light leaders alike. The only connection between these abductions was the sudden arrival of a young woman who promised to care for the children during the war before sneaking off with them, never to be seen again. Many theorize that this was none other than the sorceress Udonna, acting on ancient prophesies. Indeed, many claim to have seen a young Udonna studying books of prophesy during her pregnancy, as her husband Leanbow and friends refused to allow her to fight. Others believe to have seen a young woman, cloaked and adorned with dark purple. Udonna was known to have favored purple in her youth, being a color of -'"

"What are you reading, child?" asked a powerful voice from behind Nick, startling him for the second time in fifteen minutes. "Studying magical history, I assume?" The Red Ranger turned quickly to see his mentor hovering nearby, having just returned from collecting the potion ingredients.

"Back already?" he asked back, hoping to delay further questioning.

"Yes," she replied, gaze unwavering as she approached him. "What _were_ you reading?"

Nick glanced quickly at his book and quelled the urge to lie. "Well ... It's a book that just kind of ... appeared. I couldn't help myself, so I just started reading it."

"And aloud, I see."

Nick blushed a little bit. "Yeah, I was kind of anxious to see what was inside."

"And why would that be?" Wow, when the woman knew you were hiding something, she didn't let up.

"Because I've had a strange day. This book seemed to have the answers. Although," he added as an afterthought, "it's kind of raised more questions than it answered." Udonna raised a curious eyebrow and took a step toward him.

"May I see the book?" she asked, though it was more of a command. Nick leaned back in his chair obligingly, leaving the book open for her to read. The mentor approached silently and picked up the tome. Her eyes scanned the page rapidly, taking in everything Nick had read.

"I see," she said, putting the book back on the table. "So what drew you to this book, if I may ask?" Something in the tone of her voice made Nick feel compelled to spill his guts. She seemed deadly serious.

Hesitantly at first, he began to lay out the events on his day, picking up speed as he spoke, more and more words spilling from his mouth every second. After several minutes, he took a sharp breath and looked to his mentor expectantly.

Contrary to his expectations, Udonna's reaction was of acceptance. He'd put her more along the lines of freaking out and stripping him of his Ranger powers. Instead, she merely nodded and sat gracefully in the chair next to him. He waited for a few seconds to see if she would speak first, but she seemed to be silently willing him to do so.

"So ... " he said slowly, trying to pick a question from the many swirls in his mind. "Is it true? I mean, what they said in the book, about how you took kids from the light and dark?" She grinned.

"Yes, it is true. I was acting on the several different prophesies that seemed to intertwine. They all foretold the birth and ascension of several children that could help bring the downfall of the darkness once and for all, if they were placed in a realm where magic did not exist, not as freely as it does here." She looked up into her charge's eyes and saw the biggest question of all lying within the green depths. "Ah, I see," she said knowingly. "Given your penchant for the rare style of sorcery and your powerful good magic, you wish to know if you were one of the children I took. Is that it?"

He gave a tiny nod, eyes pleading her to say no, to tell him that he was just an ordinary person with a strange gift. At the same time, though, he hoped it would be true - it would explain all the strange things he'd caused even before he'd discovered magic. Udonna sighed heavily and turned her eyes to the floor.

"I will not lie, child, but I'm afraid you will not like the truth." And there he had it. She didn't need to say it; he could tell by the tone of her voice that it was true. The depth of such simple words was astounding.

"Oh, god," he whispered, dropping his head into his hands. The knowledge felt strange, like he was simultaneously losing and gaining a part of himself. "So it is true. And I'm ... evil?" He said the last word with a particular hate, as if it was some sort of verbal disease. He always knew he had a dark side, but who didn't? His was just a little more intense than some others.

Udonna leaned forward and looked at her despondent charge. "No, Nick, you are not evil. I saved you from that fate many years ago. If I hadn't taken you, you would've been evil, and the kingdom of light would not exist. Now, though, you are good, and that cannot be changed."

"But what about all the weird things I've done that have hurt people? That can't be too good."

"You were young, and your powers were uncontrollable. You had no power over what happened. They were not your fault."

"I wish they weren't," he said, harsh but quiet. "But they were. A part of me liked doing it, liked the power. Somewhere inside me, I still have some darkness. Even Koragg recognized it." Udonna's brow knitted together.

"Koragg?" she asked, seeming worried. The worry was quickly wiped away by the solidarity most mentors possessed. "Never mind that. What matters is that you control yourself. Even if you have some darkness in you, it is your decision to embrace it or not. If we could not trust you to be good, the Red Ranger powers would not work properly for you."

Nick looked up hopefully. "Really?"

"Yes. The powers work only for those worthy of them, and only a person with a good heart may wield the Mystic powers. It was ensured by their magical binding when they came into existence years ago so that no evil could properly possess them."

"But what about evil Rangers in the past? And Koragg now?"

"In some cases, the powers were created to be evil. Other Rangers were tricked by evil, still good by their nature. Koragg was a Knight before he received his powers, and the Knight Wolf powers were created as powers for a Dark Knight. He was chosen by them and they are bound to him and his heirs until his death."

Nick shook his head wearily. "I'm just not so sure of myself right now. I mean, this is huge. My parents aren't my biological parents, my sister isn't my sister. I'd always accepted it, it's not like I didn't know. It never really mattered until now. But now it just seems huge. Everything is just ... I don't know. I just don't know. Who were my parents? How am I supposed to just accept this?" He buried his face in his palms again. Then something hit him - if he could barely take this, how would the team? How would Madison?

Udonna placed her hand on his drooping shoulder, smiling at him with a knowing look in her eye, a sad look that would've made him suspicious if he had been looking at her.

"Nick, I cannot tell you how or when you will accept it, but I can tell you that you will. This by no means changes who you are." He looked up at her strangely.

"How can you be so sure? How do you know that I won't go crazy and just kill everyone now that I know magic? I just - I can't handle this right now." He stood up quickly and began to tear out of the room when Chip, Vida and Xander rushed in, blocking his escape and carrying something large and grey.

"Udonna, we need your help over here!" Vida shouted, eyes full of fear and rage. The sorceress stood up and crossed the room hastily, looking up and down the grey thing.

"Oh, dear," she whispered, placing her hands on it. "How did this happen?"

Xander stepped forward, consummate leader as he was, and giving Nick a good view of the thing. His heart leapt into his throat.

Maddie.

* * *

_A/N _- Okay, so I'm getting a bit lax on updating. What can I say? School started again since I put up the first three parts. But I can say that it's getting fairly long (I'm on a second notebook) and I'm trying to write as much as I can every day.

I'm loving the response to the story. It's been a major push through my writer's block to know that there are actually people out there waiting to read another chapter.

I have to say, the plot keeps changing, ever so slightly. I'm not the kind of person to lay it all out before I write, but mentally I've been writing backstories and future chapters and my hands just can't write fast enough.

Oh, and on a sidenote, if I don't mention it, assume it went the same way as it did in the episode. Some parts will be different if only because Nick and/or Madison isn't there, and some will be explained.

Got to go now, NCIS is starting.


	5. Chapter Four

Xander took a deep breath and began talking, something he quite liked to do.

"Well, you see, she was being really spacy today at work, not getting much done and all. Toby decided just to give her the rest of the day off, so she left pretty quick, talking about taking a walk in the park. So about half and hour later, we get a distress call on the morphers from her, but it cuts out midway. Of course, we rush to see what's going on, and we find her like this, completely turned to stone. We'd been hearing about it in the papers, and we thought it might be something a bit on the magical side, but this pretty much confirmed it. And, anyway, this vampire lady named Necrolai is standing there laughing with this weird monster that I didn't quite catch the name of, and then they attack us and pretty much kick our butts, then decide to disappear into the Underworld, kind of like how Koragg comes and goes. We bring her back here, and you know the rest of the story."

"Can you do anything to help her?" Vida asked hopefully, obviously fearing for her sister's safety. Udonna didn't respond, opting to step forward and place her wand tip on Madison's head.

"_Sorvadum nuchaios_." A few sparkles played listlessly around Madison's head, but died away without any effect. Udonna shook her head. "I'm sorry, Rangers, but my magic will not work on her. This monster's dark magic is too strong. If you want to free Madison, you must destroy the creature who put the spell on her."

"But how?" Chip asked. "I mean, it's not like we can summon him up or anything, and I don't think we know how to get to the Underworld." He turned to look at the others questioningly. "Can we?"

Nick, previously frozen in his spot by sheer shock, forced the cogs in his brain to start turning. Maybe they couldn't open up a dark seal, but he might be able to. If he could send the Hydras Worm down, then he could pull up this creature, this thing that tried to harm Maddie. Just thinking about it made him angry; angry that she was trapped like this, that something had the guts to attack her, that he hadn't been there to protect her. No, he'd been here feeling angry and confused, wallowing in his emotions. He hadn't even heard her call for help, which only fueled his desire to save her now.

"I might be able to," he said quietly, hardly loudly enough for the others to hear. They turned to look at him, having not seen him when they rushed in.

"How?" Xander asked, cocking an eyebrow. "We don't know any magic to get him up here, do we?" Chip and Vida shook their heads, while Udonna only gave Nick a knowing look. He chose to ignore this, staring straight at Xander instead.

"I don't know if I do," Nick replied, feeling suddenly on the spot, "not exactly."

"How can you not be sure if you know a spell or not?" Vida asked, voice a bit more vicious than she'd meant. Nick seemed temporarily taken aback. "Sorry," she said in response, calmer now. "I'm just worried about my sis." Nick mentally shook it off and smiled sympathetically.

"So am I. I want to get the thing that did this to her, and I want it now." There was a fire in his eyes, a passion to hurt what had hurt Madison. He wanted to make it clear to the Underworld that no one hurt her so long as he loved her.

The others saw this passion and exchanged a few quick glances, letting Xander speak up first.

"So what do you propose we do, then?"

"You know what I want to do. I want to summon this thing and get rid of it," Nick said, slightly exasperated.

"But you want us to use a spell that you may or may not know, that may or may not work," Xander replied, skeptical. Nick walked past his stubborn friend and gave all three a relentless frown.

"C'mon, you guys. Every minute we waste here is another minute Maddie's trapped like that," he said, pointing to the frozen Ranger. "And the thing that did that to her is still out there." He looked at Chip. "Does this thing have a name?"

"Clawbster," he replied, traces of an amused smile playing on his lips, prompting Vida to give him her newly patented death glare. "What?" he asked innocently. "I think it's a funny name."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Thanks Chip. Like I was saying, you guys just have to trust me on this."

Udonna, quiet up until now, stood up. "I believe in him." The Rangers, even Nick, turned to look at her, almost having forgotten she was there. They all stared on in a stunned silence, Udonna returning it evenly. Finally, Vida shifted her focus back to Nick and glared.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked, raising her arms questioningly and walking past him to the door. As far as she was concerned, if a powerful sorceress like Udonna thought Nick could do it (whatever it was), then it couldn't hurt to try. Worst case scenario, it wouldn't work, Nick would be embarrassed and they'd all be back to square one.

It took Nick a moment to register the fact that she was willing to go along with him, if only for her sister. Where the others had just accepted him as part of their group, Vida was still wary of him. He felt that if he succeeded at this, she'd accept him and, most of all, that he had no intention of hurting Madison.

He turned to the Pink Ranger, already halfway out the door, and shouted, "Wait, V, wait for me!"

Jogging to catch up with her, he left Chip and Xander to exchange glances before running to catch up with the other two.

Vida stopped abruptly, causing Nick to accidentally run in to her. She payed no mind, as opposed to the usual burning glare he'd have been receiving, instead opting to survey the open field before her.

"Will this do?" she asked gruffly, still not entirely okay with this plan. He stepped in front of her, careful not to bump into her again, and gave the field a once-over.

"It's fine," he replied, stepping into the tall grasses. "I'm not sure exactly what's going to happen, so you guys might want to stand back until I summon it." He paused. "... If I can."

"I sure hope you can, because otherwise we're back to square one," Xander added, not helping the suddenly mounting pressure Nick felt.

Ignoring said pressure and steady gazes flowing from his teammates, he closed his eyes in order to focus. For several minutes he stood in utter silence, trying to find a spell to use trapped in the recesses of his mind. Finally, one floated up and, startling the others, he began chanting.

"Basalichi infredo ... Basalichi infredo_ ... Basalichi infredo ... _" By the second repeating, his voice had taken on a deeper, more guttural tone, much darker and heavier. A circle began to etch itself into the ground before him.

Chip's eyes went wide. He knew that circle. That was the same circle Koragg used to go between the surface and Underworld. How was Nick using it?

"_Basalichi infredo_!" Nick shouted, eyes flying open, momentarily revealing a glimmer of strange enjoyment in this magic, before returning to their normal gleam. As he uttered the last syllable, the circle flared a brilliant golden-purple. He visibly relaxed, looking at his circle, but nothing happened.

Vida just stared at him impatiently. "Well, what now? Are you going to do anything with that or are we wasting our time out here?" Nick turned his head slightly and gave her a reassuring glance.

"Cool it, V. I've only got the portal open. Now I just need to get it up here."

"Any idea how to do that?"

He gave her a small sheepish grin. "Maybe. We'll find out." He turned back to the shimmering portal and closed his eyes.

Through the spells floating around in his mind, Nick couldn't help but smile, if only inwardly so Vida wouldn't try to kill him. He wasn't sure where these spells were coming from, but they felt right. Magic just felt right, even when he couldn't control it. It was just in his blood. He couldn't change the truth, and he couldn't deny it if he wanted to save Maddie.

Another spell drifted to him through his bog of thoughts and spells. "_Uthra norqua ozarro_," he whispered, focusing intently on Clawbster. Despite the fact that he'd never actually seen the monster, a vivid image flashed across his eyes. The circle flared its bright golden-purple again, and something began edging its way out, struggling as if it was being forced through. Nick's eyes flew open, alight with magic.

"_Rise_," he said, voice strange and unearthly again. Chip, who had been frozen in his spot since seeing the circle, was again reminded of Koragg as Nick pulled the monster up fully. There was something in his voice, in the way he used the magic, that reminded Chip of the Knight Wolf, and yet it was different, lighter, like Nick with a dash of Koragg.

The monster, now most of the way up, saw Nick and let out a fearful cry.

"Necrolai, mistress, save me!" He looked frantically to the other Rangers, eyes settling again on Nick, seeing something strange in the Red Ranger's eyes. "What do you want, wizard?" he asked, regaining some of his former dark attitude. "Why did you call me here?"

"You happened to freeze a good friend of mine. I'd like to repay the favor," Nick said harshly, holding his wand out menacingly toward the creature. It tried to lunge at him, but was thrown back by a wall of golden light coming from the circle.

"I'd advise you not to try that again, unless you'd like to die a little sooner," Nick said calmly, staring the monster down.

"I don't think so," came a voice from behind him. Nick froze in his spot. He knew that voice. Turning around slowly, he saw Necrolai, exactly the vampiress he'd been expecting to see.

"Hello, Rangers," she hissed, smiling darkly. "So good to see you agai -" Her breath stopped in her throat as her eyes fell upon Nick's face. Being the first time she had met the Red Wizard, she was stunned by the resemblance he bore to one of her co-conspirators in evildoing, at least in their unmorphed forms. The dark hair, the face, the confident way he stood, it all screamed Koragg.

She reluctantly filed away these thoughts for a later time when she could confront the Knight Wolf and smirked evilly again.

"What are you doing with my minion?" she snarled. Any anger she bore toward the man she could rightly assume was the Red Wizard's father was now directed at the boy himself.

"We're here to destroy him. He froze one of our Rangers," the boy responded, stepping forward confidently. His readiness to fight was nearly overtaking his negotiation skills. "Leave if you don't want to go down with him." Necrolai only scoffed. He had his father's false sense of power, too.

"You think you could destroy me? You think too much of yourself, Red Ranger." Nick held out his wand in the most threatening way you could hold a cell phone and stared her down, ready to fight at any moment. The vampiress only laughed. "What do you think that puny device could do to me?"

"It can do enough," the Red answered gruffly. Chip, Vida and Xander took their places on either side of him, wands out. He gave them an appreciative look before turning serious again. "It's time to Ranger up. Ready?"

"Ready!" they chorused, flipping their wands out fully.

"Magical source, Mystic Force!" their voices chimed in unison, arms following the complex movements. Within moments, they had been replaced by four Rangers, each posed and ready for battle.

"Ha!" jeered the villainess. "That didn't help you last time! What makes you think it will now?"

"Well, there are four of us now," Chip answered lightly, as if mocking her. The strength he took on when he became a Ranger was quickly overtaking his usually light-hearted demeanor, leaving little room for such comments.

"That won't help you," Necrolai spat back, glancing to her cowering minion.

"Please, mistress, let me out," he whined. She snapped her fingers, shattering the circle, and not sparing him another glance. _What a pitiful beast,_ she thought.

"You'll have to conjure more than that sorry circle, Red Ranger, if you plan on defeating me. You may be adept with balanced magic," she said, noting his golden-purple circle, "but it will take more power to defeat me than a mere summoning circle."

Nick stepped toward her, sword drawn and pointed at the vampiress' throat.

"I'm only going to tell you this one time, hag. We only want Clawbster. Go now if you don't want to be destroyed."

"Getting rid of me will take more than empty threats," she cackled, face turning more serious. "Hidiacs, attack!"

Twenty-odd masked zombies rose from a summoning circle on the ground, lunging at the Rangers almost instantly. Xander, Vida and Chip all drew their weapons and joined Nick, who was already slashing at the foot soldiers mercilessly. With their combined efforts, added with Nick's fervor, the Hidiacs came down easily.

Necrolai only stood stock-still in shock. She'd faced the Pink, Green and Yellow Rangers before and easily defeated them, but with their leader, they gained a significant amount of power. Alone, his magic was astounding, but when paired with the others ... There was no doubt that this boy was Koragg's son.

"So what now, Necrolai?" the Red asked, turning to the stunned vampire queen. "Are you going to give up and give us Clawbster? Or are you going to end up like your Hidiacs?" Necrolai, quickly snapped out of her stunned trance, gave him a dirty look.

"Do you think me weak, Red Ranger?" she snarled, mind racing. She did not want to face the Rangers now, not when they were fueled by the temporary loss of a comrade, but she didn't want to come off as a coward. "I could defeat you any day. Alas, he is useless to me now." She pointed to Clawbster. "And I have business to attend to. But this does not end here, Red Wizard." She quickly opened a portal and disappeared, leaving a trembling Clawbster.

"Don't hurt me," he whimpered, afraid especially of the Red Ranger after what he'd seen the guy do.

"I can't promise anything," Nick growled, the image of a petrified Madison drifting through his head. He approached the quivering and pointed his sword point at what he could only assume was its neck. "Stand up." The creature obliged silently as the others joined Nick by his side.

"What now?" Xander asked, voice only slightly muffled by the helmet. Nick mulled the question over, not really sure how to save Maddie and destroy this thing. A few ideas floated around, but nothing really stood out as the right way. Fortunately, Chip spoke up quickly."What about a power-stripping spell? Or a banishing spell?" Nick nodded, liking the ideas more than any of his own.

"I like it. But first, we need to get him to reverse the magic he did on Maddie, and all those other people. I want to know that they're safe before we do something to him." He turned to Clawbster. "Will you reverse the magic?" The creature nodded wildly. "Good. Go for it." Turning back to his friends, he smiled behind his helmet. "See? Not too hard." Just then, he heard a roaring behind him and whipped around in time to get thrown backward by an immense weight. Somewhere in the six seconds between looking at Clawbster and talking, the monster had found his previously absent courage.

Nick, temporarily blinded by the attack's force, blinked hard several times, willing his sight to return. He felt a few hits connect between his helmet and Clawbster's claw before his vision had fully returned. Now Nick was getting angry - not only was the beast not reversing the magic, but it had the guts to attack him. A thin veil of red began to flood is freshly regained vision.

Letting out a furious battle cry, he kicked the monster off, flames erupting from the point of contact. It flew nearly twenty feet, landing on its back with a loud groan. Nick leapt up easily and stalked over to the monster, who was trying to put out the flames dancing on his chest. He placed his sword on the beast's throat menacingly.

"That was a bad idea. I gave you the chance to survive, but I think you just gave it up," the Red Ranger growled, voice once again much darker. Thoughts that no Ranger should have raced through his mind without really letting him think them, all coming up and dying down too quickly to focus on. One thought did linger, though, and from the sounds of it, it was a spell. Nick grabbed it easily and glared daggers at the monster.

"It's time for you to die," he whispered harshly. "_Coniecto laqueus_!" Flames burst from his sword point, forming a cage around Clawbster and the Ranger. "Good bye." He snapped his fingers, the cage collapsing in on the monster. The flames danced around Nick and engulfed Clawbster. Its screams pierced the air for only a moment before dying out in a fiery blast.

With the creature gone and the pieces done burning, now just smoldering slightly, Nick felt a weight lift off him. He just felt like Nick again, not Nick the Red Wizard Power Ranger who has Control Over a Rare and Powerful Magic. No, just Nick.

Whispering 'Power down' as he turned to his friends, he hoped they weren't too freaked out. He had lost it a bit there. Surprisingly, only Chip's face, quickly unmorphed like the others, revealed an odd look, a mix of deep thought and the last dregs of the strength that came with his morphed form. Vida just gave him a broad smile.

"Way to go!" she said happily, patting him on the back and giving him an awe-filled look, which easily told him that she'd fully accepted him, as a Ranger and as a friend.

"Nice bit of magic there at the end," Xander added, smiling jovially.

Chip just gave him a half-hearted grin. "That was nice, man." Vida looked at her oldest friend for a second, seeming worried, then looked back to Nick.

"C'mon, let's get back to Root Core. I want to see my sis." She began to walk away, toward Root Core, before the guys could respond. Despite the fact that none of them were quite sure if Maddie had been released, what with Clawbster being destroyed first and all, she had this feeling deep down that her sis was alive and well. If Maddie wasn't revived, Vida would've known.

The trio of guys quietly obliged her, jogging to catch up with the Pink Ranger.

* * *

Koragg didn't hear Necrolai's footsteps as she entered his private quarters. He was too enthralled by watching various points in Nick's life, studying the boy's childhood, the way he was raised, the many times his powers cropped up without warning. He did have a true knack for random acts of magic, especially during his teenage years.

"You've been keeping a secret," Necrolai hissed from behind the dark warrior. He turned to her, surprise masked by his helmet.

"Really?" he growled back. "Enlighten me."

"Oh, it's nothing much," she replied playfully. "Only that your son lives on the surface as the Red Wizard." Koragg's eyes widened.

"So you know," he said, quickly recovering his cool demeanor. "That makes two of us, then. If I'm not mistaken, you have a daughter up there."

"But she is there to serve the darkness. Yours is a Power Ranger." She said the last part with particular venom.

"As am I. It makes no difference. If all goes well, he will be on our side soon enough."

"You'd better be right, for your sake. I'm sure the Master would like to know of your deceit," she spat, sauntering off, very pleased with herself.

Koragg silently cursed her. Her knowledge of Nickolaus' lineage would be a huge hindrance unless he executed his plans now, slightly sooner than he'd intended. If he did succeed, though, the hag would pay. She would pay dearly.

* * *

The Rangers arrived at Root Core within minutes, all clamoring quickly through the door. Nick and Vida were the first in, Vida squealing girlishly in a very uncharacteristic way when she saw Maddie quietly reading at the center table. In one long stride, she'd crossed the room and scooped her sister up in a gigantic bear hug.

"Oh, Maddie! I was so worried!" she said, nearly strangling her sister with excitement. Pulling away when she revealed how tightly she was hugging the Blue Ranger, she gave the girl the best stern look she could manage in such a happy mood. "Don't ever do that to me again, or so help me ... " Maddie smiled back apologetically.

"Don't worry. It's not something I ever plan on doing again," she replied quickly before she was pulled into two much less intense bear hugs by Chip and Xander. When they had gotten their turns, she looked over to Nick, who stood quietly off to the side, trying to decide what to do. He knew that she liked him, at least a small bit, from the way she had kissed him back. But he had no clue as to whether or not she actually wanted to pursue a relationship, and he didn't want to make her awkward in any way.

She stood perfectly still for a moment, lost in her thoughts and his face, before working up the courage to go to him and pull him into a tight, intimate embrace. Burying her face in his chest, she smiled lightly. She got the feeling that the next events were going to be on her mind for a good long while.

Finally, they pulled apart and looked at each other, ignoring how uncomfortable Chip and Xander were and how badly Vida was suppressing her death glare.

"We need to talk," Maddie whispered. Nick nodded in response and looked at the others.

"I think we'd better go for a walk, then," he said, noticing the trio of friends pretending to be doing other things in a very unrealistic way. Madison smiled and took the Red Ranger's hand, following him out into the forest.

They walked silently until Root Core was out of view. Both stopped and turned to face one another again, studying the subtle features of the other's face.

"About the other day ... " Nick started, voice trailing off as he grasped for the right words. He wouldn't need them, though, as Maddie quickly put a finger up to his lips.

"Stop. You don't need to apologize, not when I liked it," she said, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. "I like _you_," she added, gaze drifting away from his. "The thing is, I've liked you since I first saw you and your bike outside of the Rock Porium. I guess it was just love at first sight, like they talk about in movies and books. There was something about you, about your courage, your honesty, something in your eyes that I just liked. I wanted to follow you into the woods with the old man so badly, but ... "

Nick grinned, interrupting the otherwise serious moment. "Did you know that Udonna was the old man? Yeah, surprised me, too," he added, seeing the surprised, questioning smile that came to her lips. "So why did you and Xander eventually join us?"

"Well, he decided that someone had to watch out for you guys and I just wanted to make sure my sis stayed safe, all beside the fact that you were there. But here we all are now, witches and wizards and Power Rangers ... "

"But ... " he probed, sensing the lack of finality in her sentence. "What is it? If you don't want to be with me, I'll completely understand."

"No, no, no," she said hastily, trying to correct his misconceptions. "Of course I want to be with you. I have since the moment I saw you. Right now, there's nothing in this world or any other that could keep me from you. It's just ... " She paused, her turn to be short on words. "Well, if you hadn't kissed me, I never would've admitted that I liked you. I'm not that forward. I guess I just feel like I wouldn't bring too much to the relationship with someone as great as you. I don't even have the guts to tell a guy I like him."

"No way," Nick replied firmly, shaking his head. "You're much stronger than you think you are; I can just see it. Sometimes you don't need guts to be strong." Her blush deepened. "No, it's true," he laughed. "I wouldn't have fallen for you if you weren't so perfect. You're my perfect girl. And besides," he said, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her, "I'm tired of those girls who just want me because I'm sexy and won't take no for an answer. Demure is so much cuter."

Maddie smiled shyly, not used to this much attention from a guy. They usually paid more notice to loud, outspoken tomboys like Vida, or stuck-up, materialistic girls like Leelee, never shy, quiet girls like herself. And yet here she was, in the arms of such a perfect guy. What did she do to be so lucky?

She looked timidly into Nick's eyes, and was suddenly overcome by the fiery urge to kiss him. For an excruciating moment, she tried to resist, but had to give in when he smiled playfully at her.

Standing on her tiptoes, she pulled him down and met his lips with hers. Instantly, she was lost in the passion and excitement.

Nick was briefly stunned by her bold action, but quickly brushed it off and leaned into the kiss, meeting her passion equally, if not more so.

Maddie was the first to pull away, breathing heavily and face flushed.

"Wow," she managed to whisper, grinning ear to ear absently. Nick smiled back with a crazy smile.

"Wow is an understatement," he breathed.

"I mean ... Wow." She seemed beyond floored. "I never do that. I've never done that." She looked at him, grinning madly. "What is it about you that makes me crazy?"

"I don't know," he grinned back. "Maybe it's this." He leaned in, taking her chin and pulling her into another deep kiss. She smiled inwardly, returning the kiss with what could only be divinely inspired passion.

Somewhere in the middle of the kiss, Nick barely registered the chiming sound of their wands. Pulling apart regretfully, he grabbed his and opened it up.

"What is it?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"Clawbster has returned, and he's attacking the forest," Udonna's voice rang out. "Meet the other Rangers at the specified coordinates. A new spell code awaits you."

"Got it," Nick replied, flipping his phone together and looking to Madison. "Sorry for the interruption. Later?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"Possibly," she replied, smiling wickedly. "Let's just go kick some monster butt right now." Not waiting for the Red Ranger to follow her, she disappeared into a tree, leaving an anxious Nick to play catch up with yet another Rocca girl. Today was going to be one hell of a day.

* * *

_A/N _- I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chap up, but with a shopping trip up to Chicago and finals, it's been hard. With summer rapidly approaching, I'm going to try my best to get chaps up more often.

Anyway, it's weird, but on paper, where I generally write the first draft, I'm up to 159 pages (and a second notebook), but I've only typed up a total of 61 of those pages. I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to catch up with myself anytime soon, which won't be a bad thing, since the story is in a constant state of revision. I think I've got the basic plot for my unwritten stuff down, though, so this story is becoming a bit more structured.

As for the impending battle at the end of this chap, I'm not going to write about it, just allude to it in the next chap. For one thing, I'm not good at writing detailed battle scenes (I'll include one only if it's essential in moving the story along), and it wouldn't have added much to the story anyway. Besides, this chap is way freaking long as it is. Each chapter seems to get longer than its predecessor. I'm not sure how it keeps happening, but it does.

Keep in mind, this wasn't the original ending for this chapter. I liked the original a lot more, but it didn't make sense in the story. So here's my second choice for an ending.

Enjoy.


	6. Chapter Five

"Hey, Nick, come check out this CD. It 'bumps'," Madison called out to her coworker and now boyfriend, who had just walked into the record shop. Officially, they hadn't said that they were dating yet, but by the way they acted with each other, it was implied. It had taken the other three friends less than a minute to realize what had happened when the couple had rushed into battle together nearly a week ago, faces flushed despite the effortless journey between trees.

And then the battle with Clawbster and receiving their Titan forms, along with the Dragon Formation, had completely overshadowed anything about their relationship. It had just faded into the background, until Maddie had quietly walked into work the next day, hand in hand with Nick.

Since then, Vida had made a conscious effort to back off her usual overprotective sister routine. It didn't take a request from Maddie for her to do so, though, when she saw how great they were for each other. Not only was it bringing Nick closer to the group and helping the generally secretive guy open up, but it was giving Madison some much needed courage. No guy had ever treated her like Nick did, and it was doing wonders for her self-confidence.

Smiling when he heard Maddie's voice, Nick quickened his pace, not watching where he was walking. Before he knew it, he was laying on the floor opposite Xander, who himself was underneath a small box. Nick pushed himself up, grabbing the small envelope that had landed on his chest and helping Xander up with his other hand.

"Here, man," he said, handing his friend the envelope back while reading the writing on the outside. "A thousand dollars ... Sure could use that kind of cash." Xander smiled, picking up the box, and took the money from Nick.

"Who couldn't?" he asked jovially, throwing the money back into the box. "But I've got to put this in the bank for Toby. He's trusting me with the bank drop." Nick smiled quietly, knowing how much Xander reveled in that kind of trust, seeing as how it made him feel important.

The two parted, Nick once again ambling obligingly over to Vida's deejaying corner, where Maddie and her sister stood, smiling and bopping the heads to the beat in synch with each other. Maddie held a pair of headphones out to him, which he accepted, giving her a fleeting smile. He may not have been a morning person, but just seeing her this early made waking up at eight worth it.

The music blasted into his ears, a sort of jazz-hip-hop mix. He bounced his head to the beat, much like the Rocca twins.

"Ooh, I like it. The beat just -"

'_They won't want you, Nick. Now when they find out_,' growled a voice deep in his mind. Nick froze mid-sentence and looked around for the source of the voice. It had sounded like Koragg, but why would the Knight Wolf be here, in the Rock Porium of all places?

No, the words had come from inside his own head, but they weren't his. Maybe he had just imagined it, or maybe the sisters had heard it, too.

"Did you guys hear that?" he asked, taking off the headphones and setting them gently next to the turntables.

"Hear what?" Vida asked back with a raised eyebrow. Nick looked momentarily shaken, but quickly recovered and shook his head.

"Nothing," he said a bit too quickly. "Listen, I need to start unloading the van." He walked away without any further explanation, heading to the front where Toby had parked the van.

Maddie and Vida exchanged questioning looks for a second before the former ran out to the street. She found exactly whom she wanted to see unloading the van mindlessly.

"Hey, what was that?" she asked in a sharper tone than she'd intended. Nick slowed down a bit, but didn't meet her eyes.

"It was nothing," he replied quickly, not convincing the Blue Ranger at all.

"You know you can't lie to me," she said, taking a box out of his hands and setting it down behind her. "Just tell me. Whatever it is, you know I'll be okay with it." He inwardly sighed, knowing that she was telling the truth. Being entirely honest was something he was still trying to get used to, after years of bottling up his secrets and emotions so people wouldn't get hurt, but it was getting easier. The reluctance was still there, though.

"Please," she whispered, forcing him to look into her eyes. They were so soft, so pleading, he knew he couldn't lie, even if he'd wanted to.

"It was Koragg," he answered in a defeated tone. "I heard his voice in my head, but I'm not quite sure if I imagined it or not." Genuine concern shone on Madison's face.

"Knowing everything that he can do, I doubt you were imagining it," she said, trying to apply some reason to this situation. "What did he say?"

"He told me that you guys wouldn't want to know me, not with all my secrets." That was stretching the Knight Wolf's words a tad, but he couldn't outright tell her, not here in on the side of the road next to work, and he couldn't lie.

Madison arched her eyebrows in a questioning gesture. He saw this look and could tell that she knew he was lying, or at least stretching the truth.

"Look, okay ... It's a long story," he answered, desperately hoping she wouldn't pursue it here.

"I've got time." Not the answer he'd been looking for, but better than some of the alternatives he could think of. He glanced around and, sure that no non-Rangers were in earshot, said, "Fine. But not here, okay? Meet me in the glen after your shift." She nodded silently, confused by his reluctance but not wanting to voice it, and went back into the store.

He sighed as he watched her walk away, her brown hair swinging side to side so beautifully. Begrudgingly, he went back to loading and unloading things from the van.

"Hey, Nick," came an all-too-bubbly voice from behind him.

"Hi, Leelee," Nick responded, not even bothering to look back at her.

"Guess what?" she asked, not really a question. "I've got a new leather jacket. Check it out!" She twirled around, garnering a quick glance from the Red Ranger. "Do you like it?"

"It's nice," he replied absently, not really caring what she was talking about. He was more engrossed by the building pressure behind his own temples.

Leelee took a minute to pout at the lack of attention she was receiving, before smiling giddily again. "I know! I'll let you take me out on your bike so that you can show me off!" she said and then, pretending to catch her intentional mistake, added, "I mean, so I can show off my jacket."

"No can do," he breathed, heaving a particularly heavy box from the van to the sidewalk. "I've got work to do." Going back to work, he started ignoring her again, especially the huffy look she gave him. Eventually, she stormed off, muttering unheard words about if he didn't have a job. He continued working, trying to ignore the ever-growing pressure behind his temples. In a relieving moment, the pressure was gone, before the absence was replaced by the booming voice.

'_The blue witch does not love you. She only wants to hurt you. Do not stay there. They do not want you._'

Nick ground his teeth and fought hard to force the echoes of Koragg away. Slowly, they disappeared, leaving only a strange emptiness in his head. It was soon replaced, though, by the headache trickling back in, not quite as severe as before. He rubbed his temples fruitlessly and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Nick sat patiently on a rock, massaging his temples gingerly. Maddie's shift ended in ten minutes, so he wasn't too early. Still, the emptiness around him was eerie. He wished someone, anyone, would show up to end the silence.

His wish was unfortunately answered when he heard a familiar rough voice from behind him.

"This is my rock, ya know," it said, more pep than necessary in the voice. Nick felt a shirt brush up against him and was overwhelmed by a putrid stench. He let one eye drift open and was greeted by exactly whom he'd expected.

"Oh, it's you," he said wearily, not exactly in the mood to deal with Phineas' strangeness. He had enough in his life right now.

"'Oh, it's you'," the troblin mocked jovially. "Makes me feel almost wanted."

Nick sighed. As on edge as he was, he could at least try to be friendly to Phineas. After all, no one else in the forest seemed to acknowledge the guy's presence.

"Sorry," he replied tiredly. "I'm just having a bad day." The troblin smiled.

"Oh, good. Let's compare bad days." He seemed absolutely thrilled just to be talking to someone. "First, I got up and immediately got into a fight with a mouse. It won," he added, as if being beaten by a mouse was an everyday occurrence for him. As far as Nick knew, it probably was. He didn't catch much of the conversation after that, only fading back in when he heard the slightly disturbed troblin say merrily, "I got a crab in my pants." He pointed to his legs, indicating that there was something in them. If Nick hadn't been in so much pain from the killer headache, he would've found the not-so-innocuous words funny.

And then the pain was gone again, a passing reprieve from the headache before Koragg came again into his mind. He collapsed off the rock and onto his knees, clutching his head between his palms.

'_Why should they trust you? You don't trust yourself. You don't even know where you're from._'

And again it was gone, leaving only the faint echoes of his words. Phineas stood next to him, hands up in defeat.

"Okay, you win," he said. Nick let one eye creep open as the pain came back slowly, less intense yet again, as if his mind was adjusting to the constant aural assaults. All he caught was a fleeting glimpse of Phineas disappearing into the woods and a flash of blue emerging from a tree. He let the other eye open slowly, filling his vision now with Maddie, who had just appeared. She caught sight of him and ran over, looking him up and down.

"Are you okay?" she asked fearfully. He ignored the pain returning to his head and nodded, standing himself up slowly. Even when she was afraid, she still looked so sweet in his eyes.

"Yeah, just another voice message from Koragg."

"Like earlier?"

"Yeah, just like earlier."

She looked worried. "How many times has this happened now?"

"This was the third time, and today is the first day."

"So what has he been saying to you, honestly?" she asked, adding the last word because she knew he hadn't been telling the whole truth earlier that day.

"Well, when I told you what he said the first time, I was stretching the truth a little bit." He paused, waiting for an angry response, but was met by arched eyebrows that only asked 'And ... ?'. "He actually said that you guys wouldn't accept me if you knew."

"Knew what?"

And here was the hard part. How did you tell your girlfriend that you were born evil?

"Please don't freak out, okay?" he said, looking at her solemnly. "I just found out a week ago. The day you were turned to stone, in fact." He took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm adopted. I've pretty much always known, and it's not a big deal. But I'm not from around here."

Maddie gave him a confused look. "None of us are. We're all from Briarwood."

"No, it's not like that. I'm not from Briarwood, or California, or even that dimension. I guess I am from here," he added ruefully, pointing to the forest around him, "sort of. According to Udonna, I'm from this dimension, but not this kingdom. I was born in the Dark Lands, the same place Koragg and Necrolai were from before they were sealed in the Underworld."

Maddie, although inclined to believe him, was still hesitant. She felt like there were a few pieces missing in the puzzle that was Nick's past.

"No disrespect to Udonna or anything, but how would she even know this?"

"Because she's the one who took me from the darkness and put me with my parents."

"Any idea why, though? I'm sure she didn't just take random children."

"I'm not exactly sure. She did mention something about taking children to fulfill a prophecy. I just happened to be one of those lucky kids." Maddie nodded slowly, taking in everything slowly.

"Well, it does explain some stuff, like Koragg's interest in you," she said, meeting his eyes. "And your unconscious use of magic since you were young."

"But you guys have used magic since you were younger, too, and you're just normal surfacers. I think we were just destined to be witches and wizards." She nodded to him, acknowledging the truth in his words. In hindsight, she could see that all four of them had been using magic without realizing it for years. Even stories Xander told about his childhood in Australia contained what could be seen as bits of magic.

A silence settled between the two as they lost themselves in thought tangents, an air of relative peace hanging around them. Maddie, though, still felt as if there was something else.

"That's not all, right?" she asked hesitantly. "I mean, you did mention hearing Koragg three times, but you only told me about one."

He glanced away and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Actually, it was right after you went back into work earlier today. He told me that you guys were just out to hurt me." She gave him a funny look, wondering why the Knight Wolf would even think Nick would believe that. "Yeah, I know. Not exactly the smartest thing to tell me. He's obviously just messing with me. You guys are the closest friends I've had in ages." He stopped short, smile fading slightly. "And ... " His words trailed off, leaving the sentence open.

"And ... ?" she repeated, eyes questioning his own, which kept avoiding hers. He seemed more fidgety now, more uncomfortable, than he had been with the peaceful silence only a minute or two ago.

"And ... " he said slowly, taking a breath, "he said that you didn't love me, that it was all a game to hurt me."

"What?" she asked, more than a little appalled. "You didn't believe him, did you?" From the way he was acting, it almost seemed to her that he did.

"For a minute," he admitted, somewhat hurriedly. He felt that if he didn't explain quickly enough, she would storm off and leave him alone again. "But then I just thought about you, and I knew he was lying. I know you'd never, ever do that to someone." Both blushed slightly, Maddie leaning her head on Nick's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her abdomen, looking down on her lovely face.

"So you're not freaked out?" he asked quietly, breaking the short silence. She shook her head as best she could with it on his shoulder.

"No. Why would I be? It doesn't change who you are now, so I don't see the big deal. It doesn't matter where you're from, only how you're raised." He smiled at her.

"When did you become so philosophical?"

"You haven't seen anything yet. How else could I be growing up with Vida and Chip? Someone had to pull those two back down to earth." She giggled, thinking about the craziness that was her childhood, then looked up at Nick as something occurred to her. "So I hear you used some crazy new spell to save me. Care to explain that?"

"It's nothing, really. Just another spell in a stream of random words that come around when I need them." Maddie looked confused. "I mean, sometimes spells just pop into my head when I need them. I'm not sure where they come from, but they've helped so far, so I'm getting used to it."

"Wait," Madison said, taking in what her boyfriend had just said. "You're telling me that whenever you need a spell, one just comes to you?"

"Something like that. I'm not sure if it'll work all the time, because whoever or wherever it's coming from can't know every spell that exists." She still seemed apprehensive. "You want a demonstration? Here." He held out his wand, closing his eyes for a moment. After only a moment's thought, he opened his eyes again and said, "_Voco florum boqaius_." A loose bundle of lilacs materialized on her lap, fully bloomed and smelling wonderful. She gave him a surprised smile and picked them up, inhaling the delicate scent.

"Told you," Nick said quietly, looking at her smile. "Lilacs are your favorite, right?"

She nodded. "How'd you know?"

"I didn't. The spell did. I told you, they just come to me, like that one just did." He paused, a contemplative look crossing his face. "Actually, that's kind how I found all this out. I found a book at Root Core on the three forms of magic -"

"Three?"

"Yeah, three," he repeated with a smile. "I'll get to that. Anyway, I found this book after a freaky run-in with the Hydras Worm and some random spell usage. It was all about the three different kinds of magic, light, dark and balanced. Udonna came in and found me reading it, and I had a few questions. It all happened pretty fast, but -" He put his palms to his temples, trying to relieve the sudden increase in pressure beneath them. Moaning, he barely noticed his muscles tensing up as a voice thundered in his mind.

'_Do not trust her, son. Do not trust any of them. They do not trust you. Leave them and come to me. Only I can show you your true power._' And the pain vanished, replaced by a strange, ethereal feeling of lightness, like he weighed nothing at all.

When he opened his eyes, he couldn't see the glen at all. Instead, he could only see a small room in what appeared to be a cabin. A cradle stood in the corner, a small child cooing in it. Nick floated closer to the child, no control over his own movements, and saw that it was a baby boy. He had gentle green eyes and shock of dark hair matting his head. As his eyes took in the features of the child, they drifted to the blanket that wrapped tightly around the baby, and his stomach lurched. He knew who this child was.

Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the doorway, where a tall, tanned man stood peacefully against the doorframe, smiling down on the baby. His curly black hair brushed his shoulders lightly, hiding a muscular build.

"Hush, Nickolaus," he whispered in a vaguely familiar voice. "It's time to sleep now." He walked over to the crib and tucked in the child, covering the baby's exposed limbs with that blanket that Nick knew so well. He only carried it everywhere with him on his bike. A voice rang out from another room, sounding equally as familiar as the man's, drawing the older man away from the child.

And as quickly as it had come, the vision was gone, leaving a few black spots dancing on the edges of his sight. He found himself hanging limp in Maddie's arms, drenched in a cold sweat.

"Wh ... What happened?" he breathed, trying to prop himself up. Finding his arms akin to jell-O, he gave up and just held himself weakly in his girlfriend's arms.

"I'm not sure," Maddie replied, pulling him up gently into a sitting position. "I was hoping you could tell me. You just started moaning and then went limp, but I managed to catch you. You've been out for nearly five minutes. After the first couple of minutes, you opened your eyes and just stared into space."

Nick rubbed his temples vigorously, muscles finally responding to his commands, though still ungodly weak. Maddie just looked at him sympathetically.

"So what actually happened? Was it Koragg again?" she asked quietly. He nodded back slowly. The pain had come back again, less severe than before. In fact, the pain was lessening after every time it happened. That didn't mean that it still didn't hurt, though.

"It was him again," the Red Ranger said weakly. "He told me not to trust you guys because you don't trust me. He wanted me to join him so that he could show me my 'true power'."

"So do you think he knows that you're not from our world?"

"No question. The way he talks to me ... He has some weird interest in me, to say the least." He paused, contemplating his next words. "And then I had a vision."

Maddie arched her eyebrows, interest piqued. She knew he'd had visions once or twice before, but he'd never talked much about them.

"I saw a baby in a cradle in a small room inside of a cabin," he continued. "There was this guy there, looking at the baby, and he seemed really familiar. A woman called him away, but I got a good look at the baby."

"Did you recognize the baby, too?" Maddie asked, sensing that there was more to this. The Red Ranger looked away for a moment, formulating his thoughts, already overloaded and jumbled by the days' events.

"Yeah, I did," he eventually replied.

"And who was it?"

Instead of answering, Nick stood up, ignoring the head rush he received, and held out his hand to the sitting girl before him.

"I want to show you something first." Confused, but realizing that this could be important, Maddie took his hand and followed him through a tree, walking out next to his bike, and across from the Rock Porium. Nick hurriedly opened the pack resting on the back of the motorcycle, pulling out a worn-looking red blanket. Gingerly passing it to Maddie, he was silent for a minute as he let her look it over.

"What's this?" she asked, giving her boyfriend a confused glance.

"It's the same blanket I saw wrapped around the baby in my vision." Maddie looked up sharply, meeting Nick's steady gaze. Even with her mind firing at a million miles per hour, the dots wouldn't connect.

"How'd you get this?"

"My grandparents said my parents got it at the adoption agency. Somehow," he said, voice tainted by a slight anger, "I think they were lying to me. I'm sure that this is the same blanket as the one from my vision. Which means that -"

"You were the baby," Maddie cut in with a slight gasp. The dots had connected just seconds before she'd replied, and now everything seemed clear. Well, sort of. Nick's past was too complicated to understand that quickly, even to Nick himself. "So then the man you saw was your father?"

Nick nodded. "I think so. It explains why he seemed so familiar, and why he and I look so much alike. But I've got to make sure, so I'm going to go visit my grandparents. They should know something about this," he said, already folding the blanket carefully and placing it back in the pack, pulling on the leather jacket he'd taken from the other compartment.

"I'm not sure when I'll be back, so cover for me at work, okay?" he said, pulling on his helmet.

"No way," Maddie said, shaking her head fiercely. "I'm going with you."

"Why?" He wasn't quite sure where this was coming from, or if he even wanted her to come.

"I just want to be there with you, in case anything big happens. I want to be there by your side, so you know that I'm always going to be there. And besides," she appended with a mischievous grin, "I have to meet your family sometime." Nick smiled, shaking his head with a reserved acceptance of her actions.

"Fine," he said, handing her a helmet. "Do you have a leather jacket?"

"No, but V does, and she and I are about the same size," she replied. "We can drop by my house to get it."

"Great," he responded smoothly, throwing a leg over the bike. "Climb on." Maddie followed suit easily, no novice to riding a motorcycle. Her father used to ride an old Harley when he was bored, and he'd take his girls with him often. When his workload had tripled several years ago, he'd reluctantly sold the beautiful machine, giving up the freedom that came with it.

Maybe that was one of the many things about Nick that appealed to Maddie - the freedom he offered, with or without his bike. He was so fun, so unpredictable, so much unlike the regular Maddie. He brought out an unbridled sense of adventure in her, something she hadn't felt since elementary school, since before her father had sold the bike. She loved the wild side he presented to her almost as she loved him.

Lost in thoughts, she absently wrapped her arms around his waist. Knowing that she was secure, Nick revved the engine and floored it, speeding down the quiet street and out of Briarwood.

* * *

_A/N_ - Okay, this chapter is cut a bit short from the original. Technically, this chap and the next were supposed to be one, but then I looked at the two together and realized that it'd be crazy long. Therefore, you get two short-ish chapters instead of one uber-long chapter.

Anyway, I like this chapter. The whole thing (meaning this one and the next) is my favorite one so far, even if my favorite part is in the next chap. I watched the episode again, and it inspired me to include a short part I'd nearly forgotten, even if my brother renamed the DVR file 'Porno'. Honestly. The kid is weird.

In the next part is going to introduce Nick's grandma Lydia, my first OC. I quite like her, actually. Maybe it's just because I created her, or because I can see her and her house in my mind really vividly.

And with summer break now begun, I'm hoping to get more writing in. I think I've got the final plot pinned down in my mind (finally), so that should help. Plus, the second part of The Gatekeeper is finally playing on Saturday (we don't have Toon Disney T-T ), and eps always inspire me. Bwahahaha ...

Okay, the few modifications took a while longer than I'd expected. Still, here's the new chapter. Please, leave reviews. Reviews are good. I mean, I'd be happy with only one, but the more, the better.


	7. Chapter Six

A little over half an hour later, Nick and Madison stood patiently on the doorstep of a friendly looking home, Nick knocking the door for the third time. When he didn't receive an answer yet again, he gave Maddie a sideward glance that told her not to worry.

"Probably caught up in some Tribal Council," he muttered affectionately, preparing to knock again.

"What's that mean?" Maddie asked, a tad confused by his comment.

"Well, she's kind of got this weird thing for Survivor. You wouldn't believe how caught up she can get in the drama sometimes. She's probably stressing over a Tribal Council that she's seen twelve times."

"So you actually think she's home?"

"Yeah. The tv's probably sucked her in. Or," he added as an afterthought, "she's tearing out a row of crocheting. That takes forever and drives her nuts."

Maddie gave her boyfriend a cute smile, loving the fondness he was showing for his grandmother. Not a lot of guys could be that easygoing about being close to their grandmas like that. He looked at her for a minute, forgoing a fifth knock and just taking in how gorgeous she looked in the blue polo. Of course, he thought she looked gorgeous in anything. She'd probably look great in red ...

Forcing his mind away from any thoughts that could branch from that one, he bent down and planted a kiss on her forehead, letting his lips linger. Neither of them seemed to notice the older woman leaning quietly in the doorframe.

"Hello, Nickolaus," she said after a second more of silent watching. She was quite interested in what her grandson was doing with this girl she'd never met.

Both teens jumped, startled by her presence and blushing furiously.

"Hi, Grandma," Nick said, quickly recovering and pulling the woman into a hug.

"So who is this?" she asked as she pulled apart from her grandson, looking at Maddie a bit closer than she first had. The girl only smiled back shyly. As confident as she had become being with Nick, she still wasn't great with meeting new people, especially Nick's family.

"This is Madison," he replied, adding hastily, "my girlfriend." There. It was out in the open now. He'd been nervous about telling his grandma about Maddie, seeing how the woman had always teased him for not staying with any girl long enough to call her a girlfriend. But he couldn't help it if all the wrong girls threw themselves at him.

"Well, it's about time you had a girlfriend," she berated in a motherly way, turning to Maddie and smiling warmly. "I'm Lydia. It's great to meet you. My little Nick has been alone for far too long," she added with a wink, moving out of the doorway and motioning inside. "Now come on in and sit down." She ushered the teens into the living room, closing the door behind them.

Nick tossed his jacket onto a nearby chair, falling easily back into the habits he'd had during the long periods of time he'd lived here. In fact, he'd lived here almost as much as he'd lived in his parents' house, and he definitely felt more at home here. His parents weren't around enough to make their place feel like a real home.

Flopping onto a couch, Nick smiled as Maddie sat down gracefully next to him, Lydia smiling at the two of them.

"So where's Grandpa?" Nick asked after a moment, looking around for the older man that should've shown up by now.

"You know your grandfather, always finding something to work on around the house," she said with faux exasperation. "Today he went down to Home Depot to get some more PVC piping."

"For what? Don't tell me he's still working on the downstairs bathroom," Nick said with a groan. "He's been working on that for nearly four years!"

Lydia just shook her head sadly and said, "It's true. But you know him - he can't finish a project all at once. He can't just finish something and let it be done. So," she added, voice a bit sharper than before, "is this just a regular visit, or are you here for a reason? Not that I don't love seeing you, or that you're not allowed to give your old grandma a surprise visit, but somehow I think that you've got a reason to visit me."

Nick leaned forward, suddenly serious. "Actually, we are here for a reason. I need to ask you something." Lydia put on her best poker face, having a feeling that she knew what he was going to ask about. She'd known that this might come around eventually, what with Nick being openly adopted. He had never really questioned it as a child, just accepting it and moving on when they'd told him. But Lydia had always suspected that someday, Nick was going to want some answers.

"Shoot," the older woman said calmly. Nick took a deep breath and felt Maddie's hand give his a squeeze. Funny. He hadn't even noticed when her fingers had entwined themselves with his, too caught up in how to ask his question. Just acknowledging their presence gave him a boost of confidence that was much needed.

"How much do you actually know about my adoption?"

"Why do you ask?" she shot back. She wanted to know how much he knew before she gave away anything.

"I know that I'm definitely not from around here, and that my red blanket _did not_ come from the adoption agency."

Lydia was startled by the forcefulness of his voice. He seemed to crave answers desperately, even if he wouldn't show it. Unfortunately, she had very few answers to give him.

"Honestly, I don't know that much. You were a strange child, I'll give you that," she said, nostalgia evident in her wistful eyes. "You know, the day we found you was a weird day. Little things kept happening, unexplainable things, like family pictures laying around in places they shouldn't be, or the big thunderstorm that rolled in without a cloud in the sky. About nine-thirty, there's this big thunderclap and at the same moment, the doorbell rang. Nearly scared me out of my chair. Your grandfather - John," she added for Madison's benefit, "answered it. On our doorstep there was a rain-soaked man, well, at least I think he was a man. He had this scraggly beard and big pointy fangs -"

"Phineas," Maddie whispered, eyes wide. When Lydia turned to look at the previously quiet girl, she could only blush.

"We know him," Nick said, jumping in quickly. "At least, it sounds like him."

"Really?" Lydia asked back in an interested tone before getting back to her story. "Anyway, there he was, holding you, so small and wrapped in that little red blanket. He told us that you'd lost your parents and you needed a home, that you were a special child and we were the best family to take you in. As soon as I had you in my arms, he just disappeared, right off our doorstep. I couldn-"

"You just saw him disappear into thin air?" Nick asked, astounded that Phineas could even do that kind of magic.

Lydia nodded back curtly, not used the being interrupted twice during a story nor enjoying it. "As I was saying, I couldn't believe what had just happened. John and I were so freaked out, and he just wanted to call the authorities and hand you over to the state. But when I looked down into your little green eyes, there was no way I was going to let you go. Your mom and dad wanted a little boy so badly, and somehow I felt like you were already theirs. We gave you to them and they started the process of adopting you. They refused to give up on you even when things got hard in the legal process. You were theirs through and through. Heck, you even looked like them. Finally, though, they got their little boy and everything was the way it should be." She smiled and visibly relaxed in her chair, but Maddie detected a lack of finality in her story.

"So that's all?" she asked, careful not to ask too pointedly. Lydia seemed like a great grandma, and Maddie wanted to stay on her good side. Somehow, she guessed that being quick to anger was a family trait of sorts. "I mean, it's got to bother you how that woman just disappeared. Don't you ever wonder about that?"

"No, not really. I believed in magic since I was a little girl, and having Nick only cemented that belief. How could I not believe in an unseen force with such a weird world around me? And he was such a strange child," she added, lost in memories yet again. "Weird things always happened around him - floating toys, appliances turning off on their own. It happened often on for a few years, and we just adjusted to it. Eventually, it only happened when he got angry, especially a few years back. It happened a lot back then, and he hardly realized what he was doing." Nick stared down at him feet, ashamed and embarrassed over his lack of control, but his shame only earned a motherly smack on the back of his head from his grandmother.

"Don't mope like that. You couldn't control it then, and it doesn't matter now. I doubt you could even control it now."

"So wait, you know that I can use magic? And you think that I can't even control it now?" Nick asked his grandmother incredulously, rubbing the back of his head gently. Noticing the look in Nick's eyes, Maddie knew something was coming.

"I think you can," she said to her boyfriend, challenge in her voice placed to spur him on. "I know I can."

Lydia looked at the young woman, interest clear in her features. "You can do magic too?"

"A little, but not much without my wand."

"A wand? You've got to be yanking my chain," Lydia said with a bemused smile.

"No, they're actually real, Grandma," Nick replied, pulling his out of the holster on his belt and flipping it open. "It's a cell phone and a wand," he added, seeing her questioning look. Stowing it back in it's place, he looked between her and Madison with their challenges burning in his eyes. "I can control my magic, too. Watch." He held up a hand and snapped his fingers, a tiny flame sparking into life. It fell into his palm, growing larger until he stopped it as a small fireball, hovering and crackling hungrily.

Lydia could only look on in amazement as Madison pointed a finger at the fireball and extinguished it with a stream of water. The elder woman barely restrained the sheer astonishment she felt at seeing the supernatural feats performed with such ease

"You can - can ... you have magic, too?" she managed to stammer.

"Yeah, I do," Maddie replied with a nod, "and we're not the only ones. There's a whole other world full of magic."

When Lydia was silent for longer than Nick had expected, even with the shock, he took it upon himself to get her out of the stupor. He leaned across to her chair and poked her on the shoulder. This seemed to pull her out of the shock, causing her to blink several times and look the two teens over.

"You okay, Grandma?" Nick asked, only a little bit freaked out by his grandmother's actions, or lack thereof. She wasn't the kind of person to just space out like that.

"Sorry," she replied quickly, giving the couple a tiny smile. "I was just a little stunned by all this. You have to admit, it is a lot to take in. I mean, magic, wizards, even a whole other world?"

"Sorry," the young wizard said sheepishly, grinning at how obviously strange the older woman's words made it all sound. "I didn't come here meaning to tell you all that. I just wanted some answers."

Lydia, having regained most of her composure, brushed it off. "Oh, it's fine, honey. It's just a tad bit weird having my magical beliefs confirmed so openly by my own grandson." She shook her head, almost in disbelief, and looked at the two sitting across from her. "So is that everything? I think you got most of the answers you came looking for."

"Actually, I still have a question," Maddie interjected before Nick could say anything. "How did you come up with the name Nickolaus? I know that it is kind of common, but the way you spell it really isn't."

"Honestly? I guess this won't seem so weird compared to what you guys have just told me, but it came to me in a dream," she said, leaning in toward the couple conspiratorially. "I saw this young couple holding you, and one of them called you Nickolaus. I don't know how I did it, but somehow I got how to spell it through the dream, and the next day, you were Nickolaus. It just fit you so perfectly, and it stuck." She relaxed back into her chair and smiled. "Is that all?"

"No, not yet. There's still something else I'd like to know about," Maddie said, a devilish grin spreading across her face. "You see, the other day, Nick and I and our other friends were talking and somehow we ended up on the subject of preschool. Nick started to mention something about a boy named Rich Sampson, but then he clammed up when we asked him anything else. Care to shed some light on the subject?" Nick, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks, sent the girl a glare, but it didn't prevent his grandmother from starting the old story.

"Well, it actually started on their first day," she said, wry smile forming on her lips. "Rich tried to take a box of Legos from Nick and instead of telling the teacher, our feisty little boy just decided to punch Rich in the face. Earned himself a week in the corner for that little mishap, and after all that, they were mortal enemies. It went on that way all through elementary and middle school, until Rich moved away during their freshman year."

Nick could only sigh as his grandmother began to tell another story, spurred on by Madison's interest in the subject. The floodgates were officially open. Once Lydia started to talk about nick, it was hard to stop her. It's not that she liked him more than any other grandchild, just that he had done some strange, impulsive stuff in his lifetime, and she loved to embarrass him.

"So how long did Nick live here?" Maddie asked, jarring Nick's thoughts. He looked up at his girlfriend, and saw a quiet sadness in her eyes, as if she understood the oddity that was being bumped between houses and relatives.

"All the way up through his sophomore year, at least when his parents were working abroad. Their house is actually just a few minutes from here. Once he hit sixteen and got his own motorcycle, we couldn't keep him anywhere for too long. He liked traveling, and relatives liked to see him. He'd hang around for school, but disappear on weekends. During the summer, it was hard to keep track of him. Come a few weeks back, though, he decided that he wanted to spend his senior year in Briarwood with his sister Gracey. We couldn't say no, because he loves his sister so much, so we just let him go. We made Gracey promise to help him register at the high school there and to make sure that he wasn't traveling around too much. Truthfully, I was kind of hoping that he'd come back, because it's kind of lonely around here sometimes. I guess he's found something that'll keep him there, though. You do live in Briarwood, right?"

"Lived there my whole life. Vida and Chip, too."

"If you don't mind me asking, who are they?"

"They're our friends. Well, technically, Vida's my twin sister, but sometimes she feels more like a best friend who just happens to live with me. Chip's an old friend. We've known him since grade school. Xander's our other friend, but he moved here from Penrith, I think, when he was ten."

"Really?" Lydia asked rhetorically. "Well, I'm surprised. Usually Nick doesn't make friends that quickly. He was usually too busy brooding in his room, blaring music and reading motorcycle magazines. Never really was that social. I remember once back in middle school ... "

Nick zoned out around that point, mentally retreating into his happy place. Every other thought that passed through his mind involved the wish that his grandmother wouldn't embarrass him too much, even if he knew that the wish probably wouldn't come to pass.

The two women talked for over an hour about Nick, Briarwood, work, school and any other tangents that came up. Finally, Lydia glanced at the clock and realized that she needed to start dinner, offering to let the couple stay. They politely refused, Maddie claiming that her family was expecting her for dinner.

After many hugs and promises to return, the pair was left alone on the front porch.

"Well, milady?" Nick said in a faux British accent, holding out his arm and smiling uncontrollably. "Shall we ride?"

Madison grinned. She liked it when he was random like this. It reminded her of Chip with a less serious air to it all. And that was beside the fact that he was almost never this odd. He was usually a little more serious, although there was that time when Chip had his moat up at work ...

"Certainly, your lordship," she said, imitating his accent and taking his arm. He led her regally to his bike, where he helped her put on her jacket and passed her a helmet, already wearing his. When he threw his leg of the cycle, she followed suit and wrapped her arms around his waist. Sure that she was secure, he started the engine and roared away.

* * *

They'd only just passed a sign telling you how far it was to Briarwood when Koragg's voice boomed in Nick's head again.

'_Why keep going? Why continue with these Rangers? They will only hurt you. They don't even trust you. I am the only one who will take you. You know you will come to me eventually, my son.'_ And it was gone, leaving the faint echoes of that growling voice resonating in his mind. Opening the eyes he hadn't even realized he'd shut, Nick was glad to see that he'd managed to stay on the road, though they'd slowed down considerably. Even though he couldn't see her face, he could feel Maddie's questioning gaze on the back of his head. He brushed it off and sped up again, wanting to get back to Briarwood as quickly as possible.

* * *

Nick parked his bike in its usual place across from the Rock Porium, taking off his helmet slowly. He knew what was coming next.

"It was Koragg again, right?" Maddie asked, hopping off the bike and pulling off her helmet. Nick sighed and got off the bike himself, putting his helmet in its usual place on the back of his bike.

"Yeah, it was," he replied, running a hand through his hair.

"And did he say anything new?"

"Not much. Just the usual stuff, and that I'd come to him eventually. And," he added," he called me son. Again." A wince crossed his face as he said the last word, exasperation evident in his voice.

"Again?" Maddie asked with an arched eyebrow. "Again, as in he's called you son before?" Nick nodded slowly. Hopefully the twins didn't share the temper that Vida had. "Any reason you didn't tell me?" she asked, calm and cool, unlike Vida's 'threaten first, ask questions later' way of reacting.

"It's only happened a few times, okay? And I'm telling you now. Can't that be enough?"

Maddie kept an icy glare on him for a moment before looking away and backing down.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "It's just ... Sometimes I get a little carried away by how strong I feel when I'm with you. I guess I'm more like Vida than I'd like to think when you're here. That makes sense, right?" she asked, a cute grin playing on her lips.

"Yeah," he said, returning her grin. "And it's okay. I think it's cute when you're like that, at least when you're not threatening to kill me using your eyes." He paused, the playfulness falling away from his handsome features, replaced by a look of thoughtful curiosity. "So what do we do from here?"

The Blue Ranger bit her lip thoughtfully, then reluctantly said, "I think we just need to wait it out. Unless he contacts you again, just do what you normally do. We can't let this phase you, or he'll know that he's getting to you. And tell me if he talks to you again," she added, a fierce look in her eyes. Nick only nodded in response, happy enough to be acting normal, and bent down to inspect a scratch on his cycle.

"So do you want me to take you home?" he asked after a few silent moments, glancing up at the young woman. She shook her head gracefully.

"I think V's shift ends in a few minutes, and she'll be wondering what I was doing all day. Wouldn't want her to worry too much, so I think I'll just wait for her."

"Don't tell her too much, okay? I don't want the guys to know yet," he said.

She nodded back knowingly, not phased by the warning glance he sent at her, and added, "You know you'll have to tell them eventually."

"I know, I know. I'm just - Speak of the devil," he replied with a grin, standing up as the three other Rangers approached the couple. "What's up guys?" The trio looked especially solemn, not responding to Nick's greeting.

"We need to talk," Xander stated matter-of-factly. "There's a thousand dollars missing from the store." Nick just stared for a minute, letting the pieces click into place.

"Oh, I get it," he said, smiling sadly. "The new guy charms his way into your lives just to con you, is that it?"

"Yeah, that's what we were thinking," Chip replied, shifting uncomfortably.

"That's nice, really nice," Nick said, voice laced with a sharp, cool anger, a complete one-eighty from his attitude moments before. "Some friends you are. I can't believe I trusted you guys." As he fought to keep his anger from boiling over, a bed of flowers behind him spontaneously burst into flames. Maddie, she herself trying not to explode at her lifelong friends, saw this immediately and extinguished the small fire, but not before the other three noticed.

"Did you do that?" asked Vida pointedly, a harsh fury building up in her eyes.

"So what if I did?" Nick nearly shouted, rage let loose by the girl's comment. "You've already turned me into the bad guy, so why would I need to answer to you anymore? I can't believe I trusted you guys! I thought you guys were my friends. I just - I'm leaving. It's obvious that I'm not wanted here." He grabbed his helmet and turned to Madison, his expression now soft.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I wish I could stay, but I can't, I just can't, not when this is all that's here for me besides you. This doesn't mean I don't love you, though. Just call for me and I'll be there, okay?" She nodded and he gave her one last gentle kiss before he jumped on his bike, helmet sliding on smoothly.

"Have a nice life," he growled at the trio, voice dripping with malice. Stealing one last fleeting glance at Madison, he tore off down the road, leaving the four teens in an uncomfortable silence. Xander was the first to break it, letting out an amazed whistle.

"Can you believe him? Didn't even deny it. What nerve." Maddie stepped toward him, a fierce glare in her eyes like nothing the Aussie had even seen in her before. Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks, but her face told of more than sadness as the powerful, clashing emotions broke the dam they rested behind and spilled everywhere around them.

"Believe him? I can't believe you, you arrogant ass," she said, voice overtaken by a sudden upsurge in hatred for her old friend. "What proof do you have that it was even him?" He tried to stammer out an answer, but the rampaging girl cut him off. "Stop. You are wrong. Nick would never steal, especially not from Toby. I know that this is quite a stretch for you, being wrong, but you are. Your ego just won't let you think any differently."

"But he didn't deny it, and this morning he said that he could use that kind of money."

"And so did you. I guess that means that you stole it, right?"

"Me?" Xander asked incredulously. "Why would I steal from Toby?"

"You wouldn't!" she nearly screamed. "And neither would Nick! He's as honest as they come."

"Maddie," Vida said soothingly, placing a hand on her sister's arm. "Don't you think that maybe your feelings for him are clouding your judgement?" Madison only jerked her arm out of the other girl's grasp and glared at her.

"Not, they're not. I know Nick. He would never do that."

"Fine, okay," Vida ceded slowly, like you would talk to a belligerent child. "Let's just go home now. C'mon." She started toward her jeep, but Maddie stood firm in her place.

"No. I'm going to look for him. Tell mom and dad I'll be home by nine." She marched away without another word, vanishing into a tree. The trio could only exchange weary glances before reluctantly heading off in their own directions.

* * *

_A/N_ - Finally, a new chapter. Sorry for the time in between, but I've had a crazy week and a few new facts on the show messed up the backstory a bit (okay, a lot), so it took me a few days to finally polish the enhanced, much more complicated, backstory. Believe me, it was hard. I like to stick as close to canon as possible, so it was difficult trying to decide whether or not to make this really AU or just a little bit. Fortunately, both routes didn't mean reworking on the chapter too much. I'm just going to have to change a few future chaps some, and do a little editing in previous chaps. Nothing too major, though.

And I know I said that this part of the story would only have to be two chaps last time, but I realized how long my adaptation of Whispering Lies was, so it's three chaps now. Hopefully. If it's four, I might aneurysm.

On a side note, I'm totally psyched for the Dark Wish arc, even if it is only three episodes edited together like a tv movie and presented in widescreen. The promo and episode description make it look kickass. I hope it lives up to the hype.


	8. Chapter Seven

Madison stood stock-still in the middle of the forest, trying to process what had just gone on today. Nick was leaving. Her friends had driven him away. They'd accused him of stealing, and now he was gone. How had this happened?

Birds fled their treetop perches as the young witch let out a frustrated scream. This wasn't right. Nick wasn't supposed to be gone. The five of them had been destined to come together as a team, and as friends, and now those friends had pushed him away. She'd been searching for him for nearly two hours, and she needed to find him right now more than ever and talk to him, see if he would come back, if only for her. What had he said to her before he'd left?

'_Just call for me and I'll be there.'_ Would it actually work? Could he hear her calling for him? Even with all the magic she'd witnessed over the past few weeks, it still seemed a little far-fetched to her. She trusted Nick's promise, though.

"Nick? Can you hear me?" she asked anxiously into the air. "Please come." Closing her eyes, she concentrated fiercely on seeing him arriving here, that carefree grin on his face. She peeked an eye open slowly, but she saw nothing. He wasn't here. Even though she hadn't fully expected it to work, she felt kind of let down. Why did she think that he could hear her, when he was probably out of town by now?

As she turned to sit down on a log, a golden-purple shimmer caught her eye. A spell circle was etching itself in the air. As it was completed, it fell slowly to the ground, revealing Nick.

"Hey," he managed to say before he was engulfed by a tight hug from Madison. "You know that it's been less than half an hour, right? Barely enough time to leave town." She looked up at his smiling face and frowned.

"Don't joke. It was bad after you left."

"A lot of shouting?"

She nodded. "Mostly on my part, actually. I mean ... ergh. It pisses me off just to think about it. I can't believe them ... "

"Hey, it's okay," Nick whispered, stroking her hair as they continued their embrace. "It's fine. I'm here now." Something in her clicked.

"How did you get here?" she asked, stepping back from him. "How did you even hear me?"

Nick grinned and replied teasingly, as if this was a big secret, "Honestly? It was magic." She playfully smacked him on the chest. "What? It's true. Another spell just came to me. Some sort of self-teleportation, I guess. And as for hearing you, I'm not exactly sure how that worked. It was kind of like how I hear Koragg, except more gentle, like you were next to me whispering instead of in my head screaming. And here I am."

"I'm really glad you're here. You can't just leave like that."

"Why? The only things tying me to Briarwood are you and my sister."

"What about our friends and being a Ranger?"

"They'll do fine without me. As much as I like them, I can't hang around while they hate me like that."

"They don't hate you. They're just being overly judgmental, like always. Well, not so much Chip. He's just easily swayed by these kinds of things. But Vida and Xander tend to jump to conclusions a little too fast," she coaxed. "And what about being a Ranger?"

"Like I said, you guys'll do great without me."

"So why do you still have your morpher?"

He arched his eyebrows as if she should know this already. "I never said I was going to stop being a Ranger. And besides," he added, "it's my wand. How would I focus my magic without it?"

"You have before."

"Not real spells, just my elemental powers. You know that. Listen," he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "I can't stay, but I'll never leave you. I'll always be a call away. I'm probably going to get my stuff from Gracey's tomorrow and see if my grandma will put me up." Maddie gave him a pleading look.

"Please, please stay. You just got settled in and everything, and you've only been here a few weeks. I'm sure the others will come around."

"Tell me when they do," he scoffed, voice lined with bitterness, "because Xander seemed pretty sure that I'd done it."

"You know him, though. He's always that arrogant. Though it didn't help when you set those flowers on fire." He shrugged sheepishly.

"I couldn't help it. For all the control I have, it goes out the window when I get angry. Thanks for putting it out, by the way," he appended, laying a soft kiss on her forehead. She replied with a blush.

"It was nothing."

"Well, it could've become something. You know how destructive a fire can be," he said, voice filled with the memory of past fires he'd caused. She pulled him back into a comforting hug, burying her face in his chest. They stood together for minutes that seem to last forever and no time at all. Lost in their own thoughts and just being together, they only snapped back into reality when Nick's phone rang. He reluctantly answered it, pulling himself out of the embrace.

"Hello? Oh, hi ... No, I'm not dead on the side of the road. I'm just spending time with Maddie ... Yes, my girlfriend Maddie ... No, we're not doing anything wrong, Gracey. Just because you would, doesn't mean I will ... Oh, whatever. If lying helps you sleep at night ... Fine, burn my chicken ... Yeah, I'll be home soon. I think Maddie needs to get home soon, too ... Yeah, I love you too ... Okay. Bye." He secured his phone back in its holster before looking at Maddie apologetically.

"Your sister?"

"Yeah. She started to freak out when I didn't come back. Thought I had crashed or something like that ... " he replied with a grin. "Anyway, I need to be going back. You want a ride home?"

"I'd like that," she replied, nodding enthusiastically. "Where's your bike?" she asked a moment later, looking for the vehicle.

"I left it back by where I pulled over. I didn't exactly know if it should come through with me, so I just hid it behind some trees." He held out his hand. "Are you ready? This self-teleportation thing feels kind of weird." With no hesitation, she took his hand. He looked at her for a minute, taking in the calmness emanating from her, and knew that it wouldn't hold up for very long.

"_Uthe sastos._" A warm sensation spread over her head, moving down her neck and chest slowly. She looked down to see exactly what was happening, but all she could see was a spell seal working its way down her legs, which stood oddly alone. Starting to panic, she looked at her hands, yet saw nothing, then to Nick. She could see him smiling comically at her and yet she couldn't see him at all. He just wasn't there, but she could still see him somehow. This was moving way beyond weird.

A white light flashed before her eyes for a moment before she felt a cool breeze ripple over her face. She blinked a few times, adjusting to feeling corporeal and looking around. Nick was next to her, still smiling as he too reappeared out of the circle. When she felt her feet become reacquainted with the ground, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wow, that was ... " she managed, words trailing off as she tried to find the proper words.

"Different?" Nick supplied, looking amused. "Yeah, it's definitely weird, but it's fast. Here," he added, passing her a helmet from the back of his bike, which she hadn't noticed until now. Pushing the bike back to the road, he threw one leg over, waiting for Maddie to do the same. Once she had wrapped her arms around him, he revved the engine and tore off into the night.

* * *

The next day at work was harder than Madison had expected. She tried her best to ignore her friends unless work demanded it, but the day only dragged on uncomfortably. Vida seemed less enthusiastic at her turntables, Chip was quieter and more down to earth and Xander even willingly took a task that involved physical labor. Even Toby seemed to be grounded closer to reality, looking like he was thinking something over. There was a general air of depression in the store.

Finally, Xander broke the silence, nervously asking the question that had been weighing on his mind all morning, "Has anyone found the money?" The three other Rangers merely shook their heads. "Great. I don't know how I'm going to tell Toby ab-"

"Tell me what?" the man asked, emerging silently from his office. Xander froze, then turned slowly to his boss.

"It's just - Well, I ... You see ... " he stammered as the other Rangers joined him. Toby held up a halting hand.

"Just tell me. No, don't tell me. No, do. No, don't. Do. Don't. Do? Don't?" he replied indecisively. Pausing for a second, a smile flitted across his face as he held up a finger. "Alright, how about you tell me about how you lost the thousand dollars."

The Rangers all exchanged shocked glances. How could he now about the lost bank deposit so soon? The boss's smile grew wider as he pulled the small envelope out from his back pocket, a small miracle in itself to the Rangers.

"I found it under some magazines and receipts by the register when I was closing up last night." He paused, taking in the ashamed looks that Vida, Chip and Xander wore, along with the triumphant smirk Madison had donned. "I mean, come on. You guys can tell me about this kind of thing. I may be your boss, but I'm still your fr-fr-friend," he said, stumbling awkwardly over the last word and finally getting it out with a hint of realization in his voice. "Why didn't you guys tell me?"

"Well, we thought Nick did it," Xander replied sheepishly, knowing how stupid it sounded now. Toby furrowed his brow.

"Nick?" he asked incredulously. "How could you even think that? The guy's as honest as ... as the Stones are classic rock!" Maddie couldn't help but grin as her boss flashed the 'Rock On' sign with so much exuberance. Turning that grin into a vicious smirk of victory, she turned to her friends.

"Told you," she said, resentment still evident in her voice. When Toby gave her a questioning glance, she blushed lightly. "It's just that I told them the same thing yesterday and they ignored it." His mouth rounded into a knowing O, drooping as something else occurred to him.

"So that's why he didn't turn up for his shift this morning? Because you three drove him away?" The three accused teens stood in an ashamed silence. "What would make you think he did it anyway?" They all turned to the rack of vinyls behind them, where Leelee stood defiantly.

"What?" she replied, already in her mode to shift the blame. "I'm not the one who drove my friend away." She gave them all an indignant glare as she cracked open a can of soda and was dripping with cola before she could blink. All four Rangers and their boss couldn't help but grin as the prima donna pouted.

"Why do bad things always happen to good people?" she whined, looking disgustedly over her ruined leather jacket. As she stomped off everyone turned their attention back to the original problem. Toby, though, seemed slightly stunned by the departing girl's attitude, staring vacantly into space around where she'd been standing.

"Ummm ... Toby? Hello?" Xander said, waving a hand in front of his boss's face. This seemed to snap the hippie out of his trance.

"Yeah?" he said, still slightly dazed. His employees, accustomed to his eccentricities, went with the flow and ignored his spacy moment.

"I just want to say that I'm really sorry for all of this. I should've told you about the money," Xander said, adding guiltily, "and for accusing Nick. It was totally out of line." Toby held his hands up innocently, brushing off the apologies.

"Hey, don't tell me. I'm not the one you need to apologize to." He glanced oddly at the Rangers back pockets as their phones rang the same tone in perfect unison. They all instantly had their phones out and open, listening to the distinctly female voice coming out of it. Xander nodded for the group and looked up at their perplexed boss.

"Sorry, Tobes, but we have to take this," Xander said apologetically, patting his boss on the shoulder. "We should be back soon." The four teens ran out of the shop quickly, all pulling off their work shirts and shouting their goodbyes to a speechless Toby.

* * *

Earlier that same morning, Nick left his sister's house early, almost nine, all of his few things packed onto the back of his motorcycle. At least, he tried to leave. In actuality, Gracey forced him into a chair in her dining room as he was about the head out the door, setting an omelette on the plate before him.

"One omelette, hot and fresh. Go at it," she said, motioning to the various toppings scattered across the table. Walking into the adjoining kitchen, she cracked another few eggs into a pan. Nick, despite his slight irritation at her usual forcefulness, couldn't help but smile. Gracey was a natural chef, and stubborn sister. He loved her in all her laid-back college girl glory, long black hair held back by a bandanna, dark tan skin covered by a striped tank top and white linen pants hanging loosely over her trim frame. She was possibly the coolest person he knew and the most annoying, but that was the enigma of siblings.

"I really need to leave," Nick said tiredly, still not entirely awake. His sister responded with a defiant shake of her head as she prodded the eggs.

"No way, not without a good breakfast. And mine are great," she added with a self-sure grin. "Now eat." Back to scrambling herself some eggs, she left Nick to begrudgingly scoop some green peppers onto his omelette.

"So why are you leaving so quickly? You've only been here for a few weeks. I thought you were going to finish school here," she said conversationally, poking at an egg yolk.

"Not much reason for me to stay here anymore. Besides you and Madison," he amended through a bite of eggs upon seeing her hurt look.

"Madison? She's your girlfriend, right?" He nodded, mouth too full to talk. "I thought you'd made friends and got a job, too."

"I did."

"So why are you leaving then? You've got friends, a girlfriend and a job. That's more than you had back at Grandma's, and it sounds like a few reasons to stay. I don't think I'd want to leave with all that."

"You've already got all of that. I thought I did."

"Awww, what happened?" Gracey asked, automatically slipping into sympathetic big sister mode.

"We kind of had a falling out."

"You and your friends?"

"Yeah. They accused me of stealing from the Rock Porium." Gracey winced.

"Ooh, that's harsh. And what about Madison? Won't she want you to stay?"

"Yeah, she does. But I just can't after what the other guys said. I'm just -" He paused, trying to find the right words. "- going through some tough shit right now, and what they said didn't exactly help."

"Do they know about this 'tough shit'?" she asked, using air quotes for emphasis.

"Well, no, not really. Only Maddie does."

"Then you can't really blame them for that, can you? They didn't know."

"Yeah, I know. It's more about the things they said and the way they said them. It just pissed me off," he said, last dregs of anger still swirling through his voice.

"I can tell. And watch your language. Mom would blow a fuse if she knew I was letting you talk like that." Nick grinned at her as she finally approached the table with her plate of eggs and took a spot next to him.

"I know, I know. But she's on a whole other continent right now, so I think we're good. Anyway," he said, forking the last bit of his omelette into his mouth and standing up, "I've got to go now. Grandma's expecting me by eleven and it's already almost ten."

"Aww, come on. Don't go yet. I haven't had nearly enough time with my little brother yet. Just wait a few more weeks - I'm sure I'll be tired of you by then." Nick gave her an apologetic smile from the doorway.

"Sorry, but you know what the roads are like right now. All you damn college kids finally getting out of bed and down to a Starbucks for a triple espresso latte and a biscotti. It'll take me almost twice the time to get there, and - oof." He grunted as Gracey pulled him into an insanely tight bear hug.

"See you, little brother," she said, voice muffled by his T-shirt. "Stay safe. You know how dangerous that bike can be."

"And yet you still beg to drive it." Gracey stepped back and gave him a sly grin.

"Hell yeah," she said indignantly. "I look bitchin' on it." She grinned a crazy grin and looked up at him. He may have been on the shorter end for being a guy, but he was taller than her by a longshot. "Just stay safe, will you? I've got this bad feeling about you and the next year or so, like a lot is going to happen to you between now and the next time I see you. Speaking of which, when will I see you again?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I will be back. I promised Maddie that I'd visit as much as I could."

"You'd better. I'll kick your ass if you visit less than once a week." The playful look on her fade faded, replaced by sadness and drawing a sigh from her lips. "I'd guess you better leave. Wouldn't want to freak out Grandma." She leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before pushing him out the door ungraciously.

* * *

A half hour later, Nick was speeding down the road. He was almost completely alone, having been fortunate enough to escape any heavy traffic and get onto this seldom-used back road. Almost no one ever used this road for some reason or another, so it had easily become one of Nick's favorites. He could enjoy the speed and the almost-quiet that came with a motorcycle without dealing with others. It was just him, his bike and the road. That was all he really needed. Well, Maddie too, he silently amended, feeling a headache coming on.

'_What did I tell you, Red Wizard? They do not trust you,' _Koragg roared suddenly in his head.

'_It's not true,'_ Nick thought back in a very lackluster way. _'Madison still trusts me.'_

'_Maybe now, but soon she will come to distrust you along with the others. We were not meant to mix with their kind. We were meant to rule them, son.'_

Nick, under his helmet, was clearly agitated. _'Why do you keep calling me that?'_

Koragg smirked. _'Come to the beach and find out.'_

He was gone as quickly as he'd come, fleeting echoes of his presence resonating in Nick's mind. The boy pulled onto the shoulder of the road and pulled off his helmet, letting the breeze ruffle his hair. Should he go? His curiosity was screaming yes, but his better judgment said no. It was probably just a trap to catch him. Then again, his curiosity was dying to know why Koragg had this weird obsession with him.

Overriding his common sense, he revved his engine and veered onto the road in the opposite direction, heading to the beach.

* * *

Twenty minutes and a call to his grandma to explain his tardiness later, Nick was standing on the beach, keeping a watchful eye out for Koragg. He didn't have to wait long.

"Hello, Red Wizard," growled a voice from behind Nick. He turned around without hesitation and saw his enemy standing in his cocky way not fifteen feet from him.

"What do you want with me?" Nick asked, immediately down to the point. He could almost see the Knight Wolf smirking behind his helmet.

"It's a personal matter, son," he said, adding tremendous emphasis to the last word. "Very personal."

"Why do you keep calling me that? What is up with your freakish interest in me?" Nick asked, anger beginning to bubble up in him.

"You will soon know, boy," the Knight Wolf responded with a laugh. "Eager, are we?"

"No, I'm tired of you messing with me. Stay out of my head." Koragg could see the fury burning in his son's eyes, and it made him smirk.

"So how does it feel, knowing that you are truly evil? That you were born evil and cannot escape your fate?" Nick was only getting angrier. Good, very good. "Don't ignore it. Embrace it. Join me and join the darkness. I know you, and I know your power. Join me." Koragg's voice, though rough, carried a tempting undertone.

"You don't know me at all, otherwise you'd know that I'm not evil, and I never will be."

"I know you better than you think, son. You will come to me sooner or later. It is your destiny."

"I'm never going to join you, no matter what you say. And stop calling me son. I don't care what your weird interest in me is, but I'm not your son."

"Is that really what you believe? You have been deluded by the light."

"It's what I know. I may be dark, but you're not my father." By now Nick was desperately pleading with himself that what he said was true, that Koragg was lying. The compassionate underlying tone in Koragg's voice, though, had thrown a single grain of doubt into Nick's mind, and it was growing rapidly.

"Do you require proof? I will prove it to you if I must."

"How? What could you do to convince me?" Nick asked, staring down the Knight Wolf, who only stared back evenly.

"Power down," the warrior whispered quietly, his armor disappearing in a flash of purple light. A tall, tan man stood where the Knight Wolf had been, staring intently back at Nick.

The boy was physically stunned. He'd seen this man once before, in a vision. He gaped in horror at the same man he'd seen standing over his baby self, albeit about twenty years older. His long, curly hair hadn't changed, but the goatee had traces of grey spread randomly through it. It was true, all true.

A smile spread across Koragg's face. "So you see it now. You understand my interest in you. I'm merely trying to regain what I lost so many years ago."

Nick simply stood frozen in his shocked silence. The pieces all seemed to click into place so nicely now. Koragg was his father. That was going to be a hard one to accept. Just being a dark child was hard enough to swallow, but when you added Koragg as his father... He involuntarily shuddered.

"Now that you know, will you take your rightful place at my side? Will you help me bring down the light?"

"No," Nick growled, resolution strangely strengthened by the tempting words. As much as he wanted to deny it, the offer did contain some allure. To give up morality, to see Xander beg for his life, all arrogance forgotten, to be with Madison without worrying about anything getting in the way...

No. He was good. And as arrogantly irritating as Xander was sometimes, the guy was still his friend.

"No, I'm not going to join you, not as long as there are still reasons to fight for in the light." Like Maddie. He'd fight to the death for her.

"Your friends betrayed you, though. They do not trust you."

"That doesn't mean I want to kill them." At least, not all of him wanted to. Part of him felt like occasionally brutalizing a certain trio.

"A part of you does; I can feel it. I've seen the darkness that lives in your soul. Embrace it. Embrace the true power of the dark phoenix."

"What part of 'no' don't you get? I'm not like you, father or not, and I'll never turn to evil. You might as well give up."

Koragg smirked. It seemed they shared the same stubborn streak - Nick with his refusal of the darkness and he with his persistence in bringing Nick back to his true roots. But if the boy wouldn't listen, a certain degree of force would be needed.

"If you think that I'll give up, you're a fool. I will show you the error of your ways." He held out a wand, much like the Ranger's original wooden wands, tipped with a purple wolf-shaped crystal. "Dark source, evil force!" he shouted. In a flash of purple light, Koragg had rangered up, the wand becoming part of his shield. Nick had his morpher in hand almost instantly and, without thinking, followed suit.

"Magical source, Mystic Force!" In a similar flash of light, the Red Mystic Ranger stood in a standoff with the Knight Wolf.

"Draw your weapon," Koragg growled, pulling his sword from his shield. Nick did just so, willing his Magi Staff into a sword. The two stared each other down for only a moment before Koragg lunged. Nick barely managed to avoid a direct hit to the chest by launching himself over his attacker and attempting to land a blow on his neck. The Knight Wolf managed to deflect the brunt of the attack by doing a complete one-eighty and knocking Nick's sword away with his own. The boy landed hard on his feet, using his sword as a balance as he fell into a crouched position.

"You are not strong enough, son. Give up," rumbled the dark warrior. Nick pushed himself up defiantly and stared down the other man.

"I'm strong enough today. I'll never give in to you."

"So be it. Wolf Attack!" He launched the energy attack from the eye of his shield, taking the form of many snarling wolves. Nick managed to block them all, if only by a little, and was taken completely off guard when Koragg appeared behind the dissipated energy. He launched into a furious flurry of strikes, Nick barely barring most.

Koragg smiled despite himself as he continued his assault. The boy was strong, and he was becoming stronger every day. How perfect. He intensified his attacks, wanting to incapacitate Nick quickly so he could carry out the rest of his plan.

Nick, near worn out, stood up, having been blasted by another Wolf Attack hundreds of yards to a small bridge. Koragg was there in the blink of an eye, chuckling threateningly.

"Are you done yet, Red Ranger? Do you not see that you are not strong enough to defeat me?"

"I'm not done yet, Koragg. Watch this." Nick stood up with all the determination he could muster and took a calming breath. "Power of the phoenix!" His entire body lit up with the crackling flames that were his elemental power, renewing his strength. Launching himself at the Knight Wolf, he released a fireball that knocked the man back before landing on the ground in front of the downed warrior.

"Now what?" the boy asked playfully. "Are you going to leave me alone and realize that I'll never join you? Or do you need to be destroyed first?"

Koragg chose to lie on the ground in silence for a moment, finally sneering, "That was good, Red Ranger, but not good enough." As quickly as he'd gone done, he was up again, swinging his sword powerfully at Nick, driving the boy back. Soon the situation had been reversed, Nick laying on the ground, desperately holding onto his Ranger powers, while Koragg stood tauntingly over him.

"Do you see where your light leads you? You have lost," Koragg spat, pointing his sword at Nick's throat. He flicked it slightly, ripping away Nick's Ranger form. Now only his son lie on the ground, breathing heavily and staring up at the man with hate. "Good, hate is good. Feel it. Hate me! It only brings you deeper into the darkness."

Nick, realizing that he was doing exactly what Koragg wanted, blinked hard, trying to wipe the hate from his mind. He gripped at the threads of self-control and fought the urge to set everything around him on fire.

"Do it," he whispered harshly, eying the blade at his neck without fear. "Kill me. If you're really that evil, than do it. Take me out." He paused, noticing the man's hesitation when faced with such an eager request to be killed. "Do it!"

The father was stuck. This was his chance to destroy a Ranger, to bring the whole team to their knees. But Nick was his son, and he couldn't destroy him. He was all Koragg had left of his wife, and of his life before being trapped in the Underworld. And despite all the evil that gripped his soul, he'd still bore a soft spot for his son. He could never mortally harm the boy.

Slowly, as if not sure of his actions, he began to sheathe his sword, when four battle cries drew his attention to the bridge above them. A quartet of colors leapt from the bridge's edge and surrounded Nick in a protective circle.

"We won't let you hurt him," Chip stated first, hands grasped firmly on his crossbow, which was trained directly at Koragg's head. Automatically reacting to a threat, the warrior unsheathed his sword and held it out toward the Rangers. Under his helmet, he could only stare in shock at the four that he had believed to be Nick's former friends.

Nick was as surprised as Koragg to see his friends there, and gratefully accepted Maddie's outstretched hand.

"You're not supposed to be here," Koragg managed, disbelief evident in his voice. "He is mine."

"Sorry to break it to you, but we're his friends. We'll always be here," Xander replied confidently.

"Right. We're a team, and we'll never leave Nick," added Vida.

"Some of us never did," Maddie said in an irritated way. Nick glanced at her happily for a moment, then turned back to Koragg.

"I guess your little plan didn't work. I still have my friends, and you don't have me. End of game."

Koragg stared back at his cocky son angrily. "Don't be so sure," he growled. "_Uthe mejor Catastros_! _Sumbol unithos equestras_!" Catastros appeared from a seal on the ground, quickly combining with the now-giant dark warrior who had summoned him. Nick looked to his friends, who merely nodded.

"_Galwit mysto prifior_!" they shouted in unison, changing almost instantly into the Mystic Titans. Now on a level playing field with Koragg, they stared him down.

"Do not think that will help you, Rangers. It will only delay the inevitable defeat that you will face as my hands," mocked the warrior.

"Don't judge us too quickly," Vida said quickly from her perch on Xander's shoulder.

As if they'd spoken telepathically, the four Rangers standing behind Nick all shouted, "_Galwit neramax unios_! Dragon formation!" Knowing exactly what to do, Nick took his spot on the Dragon's back, sword drawn, as they flew toward the Knight Wolf. Koragg charged them as well, both parties meeting halfway. Swords clashed fiercely for a moment before both pushed the other back.

"Fire!" Nick shouted. The Dragon let loose a fireball that slammed forcefully into the Centaur's chest. He was pushed back even farther, but when he looked up, they could tell that they'd only angered him.

"You may be strong, Rangers, but I have become stronger. _Uthe mejor ultimas_!" In the blink of an eye, he'd changed forms with Catastros, becoming a megazord.

"That won't help you, now," Nick said. "Full power!" His entire body glowed red, gathering as much energy as he could and channeling it into the Dragon. Three gigantic streams of fire came from its mouth, interlacing with each other and exploding as they hit the Knight Wolf. He stumbled a bit, but only came out laughing.

"Is that all, Rangers? I expected more from the mighty Mystic Force."

"You haven't seen anything yet," Nick scoffed. "Galwit mysto uni-"

Koragg, at the same time, said, "Not so fast, Red Ranger. Dark source, evil force!" He held up a hand, drawing a golden orb out of the Titans mid-spell, and Nick froze. He could feel the magic of the spell dying as the power was drawn out of them.

"What'd you do?" he asked angrily.

"I stole your Megazord power, Red Ranger. You cannot combine now," sneered the Knight Wolf. "It will go to a good use, though." The orb floated before his palm, aimed at an empty spot on the ground. "Rise, Morticon!" A dark purple circle appeared on the ground, a hand already coming out of it. The hand was followed by another, which helped drag out a whole body.

"I am free!" shouted the newcomer triumphantly. The Rangers had never seen him before, but he seemed to be a cross between a zombie and a cyborg. Without hesitation, Morticon grabbed the Dragon, swinging it in a circle. When he'd gained enough momentum, he released the beast, letting it hurtle through the air and land harshly on the ground. The four Titans disengaged from their Dragon formation by the sheer force of the attack, while Nick was still able to stand, the Dragon having taken most of the blow. He'd only moved a few steps when Morticon had him in a headlock, pressing his blade to Nick's neck.

"This is the end of the Red Ranger," he said ominously, pressing the blade closer. "Will you not help me, Koragg?" The Knight Wolf shook his head.

"I will not stop you from killing him, but I will not help. He could be of use to us in the future. Though I have failed at my mission today, if he lives, I will continue my quest. It is your decision." If he could, Morticon would've smiled.

"Any last words, Mystic Ranger?" Nick, almost too exhausted to even speak, felt suddenly energized. A few words floated harmlessly through his mind, sticking out amongst his other thoughts. Knowing exactly what to do with it, he silently focused on the power of the phoenix, surprising Morticon as he flew out of the cyborg's grip.

"_Invertire selia_!" he shouted as he flew back down at Morticon. A purple-ish red seal came out of his hand, wrapping itself nicely around the Underworld leader, who was suddenly trapped by the Red Ranger's magic. Koragg only stared on in complete shock as Morticon was dragged back down to the depths of the pit. He'd known the boy was strong, but not this strong.

Angling himself properly, Nick managed to land on his feet facing Koragg. "Now are you done here?" he asked wearily, a hard edge of vicious intent in his voice. The boy was ready to fight him on his own no matter what now. He'd truly embraced the power of fire, the willingness to fight when it looked hopeless and he might lose his life in the process. He was progressing stunningly.

"I am not done with you, know that. This is not the last time we will meet, son." Without another word, Koragg turned into the setting sun and disappeared, leaving the Mystic Titans alone, and Nick exhausted in more than one sense of the word. He'd found one of his birth parents. It was so strange. He'd never really thought of trying to meet them, even when he'd thought they were just regular people. Now he knew who one of them was, and the strangeness of it seemed to have worn off. As little as he'd wanted to believe it at first, it seemed unavoidable now. He knew that in order to finally bring down the darkness one day, he'd have to accept his newfound lineage and move on, not wallowing in anger and self-doubt.

Quickly returning to his human form, he met his again human friends back on the beach road, all gathered around his bike.

"Hey, guys," Nick said happily. "Thanks for the save back there."

"No problem," Xander replied with a smile, which faded as he remembered the past twenty-four hours. "Look, mate, we're sorry. Toby found the money this morning. I'm sorry we doubted you. But Leelee did make me think... "

"Look, man, it's okay. I'm just glad that everything's back to normal," Nick said.

"Well, at least as normal as being a wizard Power Ranger can be," Chip added with a grin. Nick grinned back and looked at all of them.

"So do I still have a job? Hell, do any of us have jobs? I seem to remember all of us having shifts together today ... "

"Oh, be quiet," Maddie said playfully. "Of course we all do. Toby likes us too much to let us go. We're the only ones who can put up with his craziness. And he's the only one that'll put up with us running out all the time, even if it is for the greater good, or whatever." She leaned her head comfortably on Nick's shoulder, garnering only a restrained glare from Vida. She liked Nick, but that didn't mean she couldn't still feel overprotective toward her fraternal twin. It took her all of her self control to keep herself from ripping the two apart.

"So should we head back? If I remember properly, my shift doesn't end until two, and I'm working with some of my favorite people today," said Nick merrily.

"I'm all for that. Vida and I were trying to outsell each other, and Tobes is probably wondering where we went," Xander answered with a smile.

"I'll drive back," Vida said hastily, grabbing her keys out of Xander's hand. "You nearly killed us on that overpass." Xander, Chip and Vida began heading over to the bridge where they'd entered the battle, Vida and Xander arguing the whole time about his driving skills, but Madison hung behind.

"You coming, sis?" Vida asked from about twenty feet away. The brunette shook her head.

"I'm going to ride with Nick," she stated, helmet already in hand. Vida didn't show her approval or disapproval, a huge feat for her, instead opting to forcefully make herself walk to her jeep, no longer interested in arguing with Xander.

The pair climbed on the bike quietly, Nick handing Maddie his leather jacket.

"Look," he said tiredly when she refused it, "if you're going to ride with me, at least wear the jacket." Inwardly smiling, she took the oversized jacket and slipped it over her blue tee shirt. She could feel her sister's glare from afar, but shrugged it off as Nick gunned it, tearing off toward Briarwood.

* * *

"So what was that little encounter all about?" Maddie asked as soon as they couldn't see the others. Nick turned his head slightly to look at Maddie's questioning face, or as much of it as he could see through the visor. He could barely hear her over the wind and the muffling effect of the helmet, so he motioned for her to wait a second while he racked his mind for a spell to use. One drifted innocently to the forefront of his thoughts and he grabbed it quickly.

"_Unios mens_," he whispered, instantly feelings the effects. Another presence bordered the edges of his mind, a light, powerful presence. He could almost see her face as he would see it normally, though more of a mental impression than a physical. More entertaining, though, was the surprise he could feel echoing from her mind.

'_What's going on?' _asked Maddie mentally, more than a little shocked.

'_I'm not exactly sure,'_ Nick thought back. _'I just wanted a spell to help us talk easier while we rode. I guess it formed some sort of telepathic bond.'_

'_Wow,'_ she replied, trying to calm herself down. It wasn't everyday that your wizard boyfriend telepathically bonded you together. _'So what was going on back there?'_

'_Udonna didn't tell you? Well, Koragg just wanted to try and recruit me again, and tell me that he was my father. It was kind of Star Wars-y, actually. Chip would've appreciated it.'_

'_What?'_ Maddie was stunned - he could feel it. It was really kind of strange, the way he could feel her emotions as if they were his own. He could tell that she had never seen that coming, and her amazement at how calmly he said it. _'That's not true, is it?'_

'_Oh, I'm fairly sure it's true. We look way too alike to not be related. And, oddly enough, it feels right. It kind of makes sense. Even explains his weird obsession with me.'_

'_But he looked like he was about to attack you.'_

'_He was thinking about it. I think he was about to back off, though, when you guys showed up.'_

Maddie winced. _'Did we mess anything up?'_

'_No, no, no, it's not like that,' _Nick hastily replied. _'I'm not sure what would've happened next if you guys hadn't shown up. I guess there would've been a lot more less-than-friendly banter.'_

'_Good to know we didn't screw up your grand scheme,'_ she responded with a smile. _'So are you going to go back to living with your sister?'_

'_Probably. My grandma'll be disappointed, but she'll live. I haven't seen Gracey since she transferred here for college almost a year ago. And she didn't want me to leave, like a certain girlfriend of mine.'_ He could feel her shy smile resonating in his mind. _'Even if I could see you whenever I wanted, it still wouldn't be enough.'_

'_I'm glad you're staying. You don't know how weird it was not seeing you at work today. I know it's only been a couple of weeks, but you've already become an irreplaceable part of my life.'_

'_All of you guys are irreplaceable now. You're the first good friends I've had in a long time. Briarwood's growing on me, too.'_

'_Speaking of the guys, when are you going to tell them?'_

'_Tell them what?'_ he asked innocently.

'_You know exactly what. Everything you've told me - Koragg is your daddy, being adopted, being some prophesied child, all of that. They will have to find out eventually.'_

'_I know. I'm just waiting for the right time.'_

'_Well, you should at least tell them about hearing Koragg's voice. That wouldn't need much of an explanation beyond him just trying to take out a Ranger.'_

'_I'm not sure,'_ he said, wary of slipping up and revealing too much to them.

'_Oh, come on,' _Maddie coaxed. _'If I understood, they will. And I'm not asking you to spill your guts. Just explain to them a bit about why Koragg wanted you. You won't even have to lie because it looked like he was about to take you, anyway.'_

'_Well ... Fine, okay,' _he replied, giving in, still wary of what he might accidentally say but not wanting to disappoint Maddie. She smiled and quickly changed the subject before he could change his mind. They talked about trivial things the rest of the way back. Once at the Rock Porium, all five immediately got back to work, Nick slipping in, work shirt already on. Toby barely said hi to them before fleeing to the stock room, stammering something about customers trying to kill him. The quintet only laughed it off and went back to their regular routines.

"So what did Koragg want with you?" Xander asked a half hour later from his supervisors chair, curiosity getting to him. Nick glanced at Maddie, who gave him her best 'go for it' look.

"He wanted to take me down," he replied slowly, trying to think of how to word this. "Actually, he'd been bothering me all day yesterday." Xander arched an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"I think he used some sort of spell on me, because I could hear his voice in my head. I've been hearing him a lot lately. He probably just wants to take me out first, then you, then Madison, et cetera. Take us out in order." Xander nodded.

"So why you never tell us?"

"Why didn't you tell me about the money before you accused me?" Nick shot back. Xander cringed slightly.

"Touche," he responded, standing up and approaching his fire-powered friend. He held out his hand. "No more secrets, then?"

Nick looked at the hand and then to Maddie, who was pretending to work. Hesitantly, he took it.

"No more secrets." The Australian smiled and walked away to scare Vida in the stock room. It was something of a hobby of his, seeing if he could frighten the tough-as-nails girl.

Only a few seconds later did Nick realize what he'd just done. What had he just agreed to?

"I'm in trouble," he whispered in a frightened way.

* * *

_A/N_ - Wow, my fingers hurt. I've been typing furiously all day to get you this chapter. It may not by a double chap post, but it's uber long. Twelve and a half pages on Word Perfect. Ergh. I've even been a little bit masochistic in order to get this to you - I'm denying myself ice cream until it is properly posted. So here it is, finally. If you're reading this, I've finally enjoyed the succulent taste of that lemon cheesecake ice cream. I hope you enjoy this chap just as much!


	9. Chapter Eight

"Rangers, gather around. It is time for a lesson on magical history," Udonna said, drawing the scattered teens to the crystal ball. Over the past month and a half that they'd been Rangers, Udonna had been teaching them everything she could, from how to ride their Mystic Racers properly to spell forms and their effect on a spell's intentions. Of everything they were learning, though, the most interesting had to be history. While history at school may have been boring, this was far from that. Not only were they learning about Power Rangers and magic, but they could watch all the action unfold instead of just reading about it.

"Today we will learn of a great beast, the legendary Catastros." The sorceress waved her arm over the globe when each teen had arrived, summoning the image of a frightening black horse galloping through the forest. "For ages, Catastros wandered alone, terrorizing any place it came to. It was a mighty beast, neither good nor evil, and carried a great power that both sides feared and wanted. Many brave warriors tried to tame it and failed." The crystal ball turned to an image of hordes of powerful warriors being fought off easily by the beast. Chip furrowed his brow.

"But Koragg tamed him, didn't he? I mean, we've seen him using it."

"Yes, Chip, that's right. During the Great Battle, the darkness dragged Catastros into its depths. It was there that Koragg managed to tame the beast, though he does not have total control," she replied with a note of finality, indicating that she was done and they could discuss it.

"Wow," Chip breathed, mesmerized by the intense images flashing across the globe. "That was the coolest story yet. Can I hear it again?" Udonna started to answer, but was cut off by a sudden rattling noise. The lights flickered on and off and they could hear potion ingredients rattling on their shelves. Then the lights were out completely, gone like a doused flame, bathing the room in complete darkness. Nick could faintly hear the rustling of capes and when the lights came back on, he understood why.

A trembling Xander clung helplessly to Vida, who seemed both surprised and angry to see the guy in her arms. When he realized that everyone was staring and, much worse, Vida was getting irritated, he patted his friend genially on the shoulder and smiled.

"Just making sure you're safe, V," he said, making it sound as if the Sprite had fainted in his arms.

"I'm fine," she growled, dropping him ungratefully on the floor.

With that, everything went back to normal, or at least their own special kind of normal. Udonna gave them fifteen minutes between lessons to do whatever they wished, and they decided as a group to stay inside and just hang out, seeing as it was raining sheets outside. Madison, Chip and Nick had all become engaged in a conversation about, of all things, former Ranger teams.

Udonna had given them several lessons on the teams that had preceded them, which Chip soaked up eagerly. Every time she mentioned learning history, he hoped that it'd be Ranger history. He had to admit, though, that is was strange learning who other Rangers were under the helmets when he'd grown up idolizing them. It ruined some of the childhood mystery.

"No way," Nick argued. "Tommy was way cooler."

Chip shook his head as if he were arguing with a particularly stubborn five-year-old. "But Jason was the original. If Tommy was that great, why didn't Zordon choose him as leader first?"

"Easy. Tommy hadn't moved to Angel Grove yet. Come on. The guy's had, like, four colors and six powers. He is a born Ranger."

"And he can't choose a color. It's like he had multiple personalities or something. And anyway, Jason got the Gold Zeo powers. That has to count for something."

"I still think Billy should've been Zeo Gold. He was way loyal to the team. He deserved the powers. I don't care if he wasn't polarized properly or whatever. He could've easily found a way around that."

"He could've, but he didn't have enough time. I think the powers were always bound for Jason, anyway, even if they did belong to Trey."

"But Billy had the brains and the brawn," Maddie interjected, trying to join the otherwise male-controlled conversation. Chip shot her his best glare.

"You're just sticking up for another Blue." The look in his eyes told her that he'd been spending a tad too much time with Vida.

"Hey, back off... " Nick replied calmly, letting his words trail off as Clare walked into the room, smiling giddily. "Clare, uhhh... " He couldn't finish his sentence, as he was suddenly overtaken by a fit of giggles. The others followed his line if sight to the sorceress-in-training and they too were overtaken with silent laughter. Clare mistook their smile as happiness and smiled back.

"Yeah, isn't it great? I mixed a hot chocolate spell with a spell of protection. Keeps me warm on these cold, rainy days." The Rangers could only stare on in amazement, trying not to laugh. Quickly, though, the young apprentice realized they weren't smiling at what she'd done right, but laughing at what she'd probably done wrong.

"What is it guys?" Vida only let out a repressed snicker and pointed to what had been Clare's hair. The girl looked up, eyes going wide as she saw the dripping mess on top of her head. Sticking a careful finger into it, she tasted it. When she realized exactly what it was, she started to freak out.

"It's whipped cream!" she nearly shouted. "I'm allergic to whipped cream!" She frantically danced around in her spot, eyes finally landing on Nick and his wand laying next to him. "Nick, help me!" He jumped up from his seat promptly, wand already in hand.

"What do I do?" he desperately asked. No spells were just coming to him.

"Just point your wand at me and say 'Finishio'! Hurry!"

"_Finishio_!" he shouted back hastily, raising his open wand to her 'hair'. A stream of red light covered the top of her head, changing the drippy whipped cream back into her regular golden locks. Clare finally and visibly relaxed.

"Thanks," she said gratefully, a tad embarrassed.

"No problem," Nick replied, glancing down at his phone. "Ooh, we're going to be late for work," he added with a wince.

"Aggh, work," groaned Vida, leaning her head tiredly on Xander's shoulder. The Green Ranger grinned and shook her off gently.

"It's not all that bad," he said with his most charming smile.

"Says the supervisor."

"Oh, come on," he replied cajolingly. "I'll give you a ten minute head start in sales. Maybe you'll finally beat Xander the Great." She turned to him, competitive fire burning in her eyes. Vida wasn't the kind of person you challenged unless you really wanted a challenge.

"It's on," she said, storming out of Root Core. "Just don't cry when I wipe the floor with you." The remaining four just exchanged knowing glances and followed the determined Pink Ranger out into the forest and to work.

* * *

"Prices fall under my Reduction Ray, for I am Count Discount!" Chip shouted, aiming his labelmaker like a gun at a rack of vinyls.

Xander, relaxing with a newspaper a few feet away from his eccentric friend, grinned, a devious gleam in his eyes that reminded Nick of a maniacal genius.

"Are you really?" he asked wickedly, standing up and taking the labelmaker out of Chip's hands. He fired it rapidly, covering Chip with the small orange labels it contained. For a second he paused to survey his work, then quickly added a price tag to his friend's forehead and turned up the collar on his work shirt, two necessary finishing touches.

"Now you're really Count Discount," he said in a high-class British accent, looking pleased with his work.

"So, Count Discount, what angers do you harbor against these prices?" Maddie queried suddenly, stepping closer with her camera in hand and turned on. She had been doing some paperwork in the office when Nick had mentally alerted her to the potentially entertaining situation. Fortunately, she'd caught everything from a hidden vantage point.

Chip, not missing a beat, took up his new mantle, thrusting out his chest and placing his hands on his hips proudly.

"Prices are my mortal enemy, fair lady. They have taken my money far too often, so I am forced to bring them down to a reasonable point." He snatched the labelmaker back from Xander and pointed it menacingly at the remaining records. "Prepare to fall, vile prices! Hah!" Several stickers flew randomly through the air, Chip laughing madly all the while. The others joined in, along with a few customers. The past week had been boring, at least compared to their regular weeks, and they were starting to lose it a bit from the lack of action.

As if tuned into their need for something interesting, their morphers all rang in unison. They all jumped, not expecting it, then gathered around Nick's promptly open phone.

"There is dark magic downtown," Udonna said, a hint of emergency tainting her usually calm voice. "You need to respond immediately."

"We'll be there," Nick replied, already pulling off his work shirt and walking out.

"Be back soon, Toby," Xander shouted to his boss quickly as he jogged out with the others. "Lunch break."

Nick led the group through the streets of Briarwood, his tired muscles protesting the whole way. He hadn't been sleeping well for the past week or so. Ever since Udonna had taught them about Catastros, he'd woken up several times a night by the same dream, a dream where he was on the horse and he had no control whatsoever. It wasn't just the lack of control over a wild, galloping horse that frightened him, but the fact that he'd been terrified of the equine species ever since he was seven. One had bucked him off and then nearly trampled him, leaving the boy with a broken leg and concussion. He'd never exactly been a big fan after that.

Without realizing it, Nick found himself already standing in a defensive position with the others, looking up at a Zord-sized Koragg. Peoples screams echoed around the area as buildings fell easily under the Knight Wolf's attacks. Completely sure that no one was in the area, Nick flipped open his wand.

"Ready?"

"Ready!" the others responded, opening their wands.

"Magical source, Mystic Force!" they all shouted. Light engulfed their bodies as they keyed in another spell, the light expanding into five larger forms. Where the teens had once stood now were the Mystic Titans, though in slightly different formation as to not destroy any buildings themselves. Xander himself took up most of the space, Vida fluttering daintily over his shoulder. The other three took up an equal amount of space side-by-side.

Being a Titan was strange, all the Rangers had agreed to that when it'd came up one day. It was such a powerful feeling, being that tall and metallic, but at the same time you felt oddly disconnected, like your mind was simultaneously telling you that this wasn't your real body and that it was. It definitely took some getting used to. Chip and Vida had to adjust to being able to fly and, in Vida's case, being the smallest. Xander had to deal with being the biggest and the strongest, a deadly combination if he tripped. Maddie had a tail. Nick himself didn't have anything new - just the power and disconnection.

Koragg surveyed the Titans, eyes finally resting on the Phoenix.

"So, Rangers, you finally showed up. I was beginning to wonder how many destroyed buildings it would take."

"Cram it, maskface," Vida snapped. The Knight Wolf momentarily shifted his vision to the Sprite.

"Your insolence will not be tolerated," he growled. "When I bring you down, you will be the first to die."

"Wanna try me?" she spat back, voice full of challenge.

"Do not doubt that I will take you all out, but you are not my concern today. Only the Red Wizard is." Nick inwardly sighed, still projecting the cocky attitude of a Ranger. He understood Koragg's obsession with him now, but that didn't make it any less annoying.

"Just give it up, Koragg. I'd die before I joined you," he shouted at the dark warrior, who'd turned his attention back to his son.

"So be it," the father replied. Under his helmet, he grinned wickedly. As he'd watched the everyday activities of the boy, a plan had begun to formulate in his head, feeding into his larger overall plan. Nick was about to face his greatest test yet. "_Uthe mejor Catastros_! _Sumbol unithos equestras_!" In one swift flash of light, Catastros had risen and combined with Koragg to create the Centaurus Wolf Megazord. The Rangers simultaneously changed into the Dragon Formation and charged their foe. The Knight Wolf simply stood in his spot and stared them down.

As soon as they'd reached the point of no return, he shouted, "Behold the Eye of the Master!" A blast of energy emanated from his chest, tearing into the Titans and throwing the Phoenix harshly on the ground. Not yet satisfied, he released another shot, this time connecting squarely with the Dragon and throwing it into a building, promptly and forcibly disengaging the foursome.

"Is this all you can do?" he asked as he watched the Titans struggle to stand up. Only the Phoenix succeeded in getting up, energy slowly returning to him.

"Not by a long shot," the young man replied, brandishing his sword. He launched himself at the older man more quickly than the Knight Wolf expected, not that it mattered. He still easily caught his son and threw him on his back. The boy groaned a little as his father stepped back, smirking evilly.

"Have you given up yet?" Standing up weakly again, Nick gave Koragg the best look of defiance as he could with his unmoving metallic face.

"You know I'll never give up."

"One trait that you and I share, I see," said Koragg. "You may have the strength to fight me, but your friends do not. There is no honor in this fight. Another time, Red Ranger. _Ut atrium terra_." He began to sink into the ground, but Nick wasn't ready to end this yet.

"Not so fast," he shouted, diving onto the older Ranger. Koragg merely smiled, quickly separating himself from Catastros and leaping out of the already warping circle. The pair landed quite ungracefully on the ground, spell seal fluxing chaotically around them. Before either could react, it lit up with a vivid purple light and pulled them downward.

With a smirk of triumph, Koragg turned to the remaining Titans, all of whom had managed to pull themselves to their feet. While the others could only stare on in astonishment, Maddie glared at the older man, anger unable to shine through her stoic face.

"What'd you do to him?" she growled, voice unlike it had ever sounded to her friends. Even Koragg was slightly taken aback by the harsh inflection resounding in her voice.

"All you need to know, Blue Witch," he sneered back, regaining some of his former boldness, "is that if he survives, then he is truly ready to become mine." His wicked tone only made her angrier.

"He'll never join you. He's one of us, and he always will be. Why can't you get that through your thick helmet?" The acid dripping from her voice was amazing to her friends. A few months ago, they never would've guessed that the once shy Ranger could put that much hate into mere words.

"We will see," the Knight Wolf replied calmly, sinking into a portal.

Madison glared at the spot where her boyfriend's father and enemy had once stood for only a moment before growling and demorphing straight to human form. The others followed suit, hesitant to approach the witch once they'd returned to normal. Vida gathered enough courage to go up to her sister, albeit somewhat slowly. She placed a hand gently on the younger twin's shoulder.

"Look, sis, we'll -"

"Damn it!"

Vida let her hand drop to her side, completely shocked. Madison almost never had that kind of an outburst. The girl whipped around to look at her friends. Hot tears may have streamed down her cheeks, but a fury burned in her eyes.

"We have to find him," she stated, voice low and calm despite the rage dancing at the edges. "Whatever happened was no accident. Koragg planned this."

"How do you know that?" reasoned Xander. "He could've been just as shocked as we were. I mean, he _was_ just trying to lea-"

"No," she replied firmly, sending a glare that could've wilted flowers Xander's way. "He did it on purpose."

"But how do you know?" Vida repeated.

"Because that was not the usual teleport spell. It was definitely different."

"Why would you know? How?"

"Because-" She stopped. They didn't know about Nick's random spell usage, or the fact that he could teleport using the same spell. Even if it wasn't major, she wouldn't feel right saying it. That was something Nick would explain when he felt like it. "Because I'm just observant. Koragg's used the regular one before, and this one wasn't it."

Vida arched an eyebrow, not entirely convinced. She knew when her sister was hiding something and she had the feeling that it had to do with Nick. Their relationship ran deeper than that of your average couple, Vida knew that much. There was something about them when they were together, something powerful, magical, if you pleased.

"So what now?" Chip asked cautiously.

"We need Udonna's help. Even if she doesn't know how to get Nick back, she should have some advice for us," Maddie answered, mentally adding, _'And she and I need to talk.'_ She got the feeling that there was more to Nick's story than Udonna was letting on, more than his relation to Koragg and being a former dark child. There was a certain sadness in her eyes whenever she looked at Nick, one that screamed of past pains.

Completely preoccupied by her thoughts, she didn't even realize she'd been moving until Xander ran into her. She found herself quite suddenly in a dog pile on the forest floor. Xander's cape fluttered down over her face as he started to apologize.

"I'm sorry, so sorry," he said hastily, helping her up. "You just stopped right outside the tree and I didn't kno-" She held up a hand to stop him.

"Enough of that. We've got work to do." She did an about-face and stalked off silently, not waiting for the others. Nothing was going to stop her from getting Nick back.

* * *

Nick landed harshly on his chest, sand grating on his face as he was forcefully demorphed. For a brief moment, he had no clue where he was or why. Hadn't he just been fighting Koragg with his friends? And then...

It clicked. Koragg had done something. He'd used another spell to try and 'regain what he'd lost'. That still didn't help explain where he was, though.

Standing up gingerly and brushing off the sand clinging to his clothes, he glanced around. Wherever he was, it was definitely not Briarwood. It looked like someone had turned down the brightness on the colors, most of which weren't even right. The grass was purple. _Purple._ This had to be the weirdest place he'd ever been, and he'd visited New Zealand with his parents before. Weird people there, especially those crazy actors...

He grabbed his phone from its place on his belt and opened it hurriedly, desperately hoping that he could get a hold of someone. This place freaked him out.

"Guys, it's Nick. Hello? Come in, can you hear me?" No noise. Nothing. "Damn," he whispered, stowing the phone back in its place. His mind was racing, an endless stream of ideas on where he was and how to escape flooding his thoughts.

Those thoughts never made it very far, mostly due to the unsettling noise that resounded through the valley. Nick clamped his eyes shut, sure he knew what the sound was.

"Please just be an oversized pelican," he pleaded, turning around slowly. When a puff of warm air hit his face, his fears were confirmed. Peeking open one eye slowly, he found himself face to face with Catastros.

"Oh, shit," he managed to choke out before breaking into a dead run in the opposite direction.

He stumbled over the tall purple grasses, footing not so sure in his terror. The rapid beating of hooves told him that Catastros was hot on his trail. This only pushed him to run faster, not caring that his chest burned and his legs were numb. It wasn't that he couldn't run for very long, but more that he'd never pushed himself this hard for this long before. Trees flew past him and he was vaguely aware of how much they resembled those in the forest, at least in a surreal, bleached way.

He saw the pastel blue of the sky before he could realize that he'd tripped over an uprooted stump and managed to roll onto his back. Pain shot up his left leg as the pale sky was replaced by the rearing form of Catastros. He was barely able to roll out of the way before the powerful hooves crashed down on what otherwise would've been his head. Dropping several feet into an alcove of roots, he listened as the pounding of hooves grew further and further away.

Nick breathed a quiet sigh of relief when he could no longer hear the beast. His mind was already rolling through his options, few as they were. He could try and teleport out, save for the fact that he had no idea what dimension he was in, or where he was. If a spell came to him, he could always try that. That could potentially backfire, since he generally had no idea what the spells did. Or, it occurred to him, he could contact Maddie. Even if his phone refused to work, surely a magically-made telepathic connection, as long as she was conscious. She could very well be asleep; Nick wasn't sure if time flowed evenly in this dimension. Deciding that it couldn't hurt, he closed his eyes, concentrated and hoped for the best.

* * *

"Well, that didn't help," Vida said angrily, kicking at a pile of leaves.

They'd stopped at Root Core, only to find that Udonna had left, off treating an ill elf at Woodland Village. Clare had tried her best to help, but to no avail. That left the Rangers to wander dejectedly through the forest.

"What are we supposed to do now? Udonna could be gone for hours," sighed Xander, garnering an absent nod from Chip, who'd spent most of the time since they'd left Root Core staring at the ground. Madison only glared at every tree she passed as if they were all Koragg in disguise.

"We need to find a way to get Nick back," Vida replied, displaying more courage than she felt. They may have only knew Nick for a little over a month, but he was already one of the gang. She didn't let her friends go without a fight. That was beside the fact that she found Maddie's unnatural silence unnerving and upsetting. Even the old, shy Maddie was bubblier than this.

"We need to help Nick," she said again when no one responded. "We have to st-"

"Did you say Nick?" someone or something - you could never be sure in the forest - asked, falling onto its feet from a tree above them. It brushed off some dirt in a nonthreatening way, though that really didn't help the overall aura of dirtiness coming off of it in waves. Chip, being the closest, recoiled slightly at the smell rolling off of the creature.

"Are you guys friends of Nick?" it asked. Xander nodded, obviously repulsed.

"Just who are you?" he asked back, looking over it. It just grinned, revealing two dirty canines, and looked to its left.

"They want to know who I am," he laughed to the open air next to him. "Drum roll, please... " He waited, listening to the imaginary drums, then threw out his arms, a large smile crossing his face. "I'm Phineas." The Rangers' eyes widened in synchronized realization. Nick had talked about the troblin, but they'd never met the guy. Xander had assumed that Nick was exaggerating when he'd said how strange Phineas was. He wasn't.

"Oh, Nick told us about you," Chip said excitedly. Phineas' smile only got bigger. "I'm Chip." The Yellow Ranger held out his hand, which the troblin stared at. An indiscernible look crossed his face, eyes welling up with tears soon after. He suddenly pulled Chip into a tight hug. The redhead cringed and stuck it out, breathing a silent sigh of relief as his new friend stepped back, suddenly realizing what they'd been talking about.

"So what's wrong with Nick?" he asked, a more serious look of worry flashing in his eyes.

"Koragg sent him somewhere, and we have no idea on how to get him back," Vida stated. The troblin simply nodded.

"Well, then giving up does seem like the best option." Maddie's attention was suddenly drawn to the troblin, sending him a powerful glare.

"We are not giving up," she said, voice colder than she'd intended. "We're just... thinking."

"Really? 'Cause it looks to me like you're all just moping. Can't really blame you, though. If I were you, I would've given up a long time ago. No use getting up just to fall back on your face, right?" He smiled jovially to his left, as if sharing an inside joke with his invisible friend.

"We are not giving up," Maddie shot back indignantly. "We are goi-"

'_Maddie... '_ A voice drifted through her mind faintly, catching her attention completely. The others stared at her, quizzical looks gracing their faces, but she paid them no mind.

'_Maddie... '_ She heard it again, a desperate whisper on the edge of her mind. Something about it commanded her attention wholly. It echoed her name yet again, and this time she realized why it enraptured her so. It was Nick.

* * *

He felt her sudden surprise at his voice, stopping her thoughts and words dead in their tracks, and then her quick response.

'_Nick?'_ Her voice was barely there, a ghost of its regular tone. _'Is that you?'_

He breathed a quick sigh of relief before replying, _'It is. I don't know where I am,' _he added, sensing her question. _'But Catastros is here, and he won't leave me alone. I keep running, but he keeps finding me.'_ Maddie could feel his panic and tried her best to send him waves of calmness.

'_How did you get there? Because I have this feeling that Koragg sent you there on purpose.'_

'_Me too. I think he's using this as another quest to get me again. He's not going to back off, that much I know.'_

'_I'm starting to see that,'_ she replied wearily. _'So you have no idea how to escape?'_

'_No good ideas, but I am in a freaky parallel dimension being chased by a psychotic death horse, so I deserve some credit.' _Maddie smiled. _'Just keep trying to find me, okay? I'd like to get out of here as soon as possible.'_

'_Can do,'_ she managed to think back before their link was unexpectedly severed by another voice.

'_Hello, son.'_

* * *

_A/N_ - So another chapter finally done. Finally. My lazy ass finally got in gear. Anyway, I'm close to what could be the final chapter or two, at least on paper. I achieved 250 written pages, too. And a third notebook. And an idea for a sequel. My mind has been in overdrive lately. All the better for you guys, I guess. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Now for some dinner...


	10. Chapter Nine

Something was wrong; she could feel it. One minute, she was speaking to Nick, and the next, he was gone, vanishing instantly from the fringes of her mind. She snapped her eyes open and looked around frantically, only to find three Rangers and a troblin staring back at her.

"Are you okay?" asked Vida, unsuccessfully stifling her worry. Maddie looked to her sister, slightly spaced out, and frowned.

"Nick's in trouble."

"We know that," Xander said, thinking she may have forgotten what had happened. "We're trying to figure out how to get him back."

"No, I mean he's in _big_ trouble. Catastros is chasing him, Koragg's playing some sick game with him and he has no idea where he is."

"And how do you know all that?"

"Because I just talked to him," she stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The three Rangers only gave her questioning looks, whereas Phineas nodded emphatically.

"I get it. Telepathy spell, right?" he asked to his imaginary friend, nodding as if he'd received a response. "Right?" he asked again, this time directing the question to Madison. She only responded with a small nod. "Knew it! Oh, being right is nice, to be sure, to be sure!" he laughed, beaming at the four teens across from him and seeming quite proud of himself.

"What does he mean, 'telepathy spell'? Did Nick use a spell on you?" Vida inquired, enraged by the thought of magic being used on her sister.

"No!" Maddie shouted as she realized what kind of mood her twin was in. "Well, yes," she amended, "but I was okay with it. I still am. Not that it's your business, anyway. What happens to me is my problem unless I tell you. I don't always need you to protect me." No words came to Vida as she tried to process what her sister had just said. Maddie never acted like that. She'd always quietly accepted her sister's overprotectiveness and lived with it. Now ... It was strange. Nick seemed to be rubbing off on the girl.

"So, um, where is he exactly?" Xander asked nervously, trying to break the silence that had befallen the group.

"Some freaky bleached-out place. That's not the point, though. Wherever he is, we need to get him out," Maddie responded, letting some of her sudden anger toward her twin drop away with a sigh.

"Yeah, we do. He's our friend, after all. But how?"

"We'll find a way. We've got magic, so there has to be a way. C'mon." She marched intently back toward Root Core without another word. The others followed, less and less fazed by her new take-charge attitude.

Phineas stood alone as the Rangers left. As they disappeared over a hill, he leaned over to his imaginary friend and whispered gleefully, as if sharing a big secret, "I've got new friends."

* * *

Nick physically recoiled when he heard the voice of Koragg clearly in his mind. All traces of Madison were forcefully pushed out as the headache-like pain of the Knight Wolf took over.

'_What do you want?'_ Nick asked harshly, angry at losing the connection with Maddie. He could almost see Koragg's vicious smirk.

'_You know what I want, Nickolaus,'_ he answered wryly. _'I want you. You are my son and belong in your rightful place at my side.'_

'_Sorry, but I don't exactly see that happening any time soon.'_ Koragg only smiled in amusement at the boy's stubbornness.

'_Believe me, you will come around,'_ he said, completely unfazed by Nick's words. _'That is, if survive to escape this place.'_

Nick's eyes widened slightly as he replied, _'So this is a test.'_ He paused, taking a deep breath to help him forget the pounding pain behind his temples. _'Where am I?'_

'_A dimension used to train young dark children to become warriors. The only plants that grow are inedible and the water is poisonous. The closest food and water are four days walk from here, and your magic will exhaust much more easily. You'll be long dead before you leave here by foot. Catastros is your only escape from here. He will take you to the portals on the other end of the forest, but only if you can master your fear and tame him. Be warned that few have ever tamed him, and your chances of survival are slim. If you live, you are truly ready to join the darkness.'_

'_This isn't exactly a good example of great parenting skills,'_ he snarked back, irritated by the warrior's harsh way of dealing with him.

'_It is the dark way,'_ he answered matter-of-factly. _'Now go. It is time to determine your fate.'_ And, without any other words, his voice was gone, lost in his swirling thoughts.

So this was it. Do or die. Master his fear and Catastros, or rot away in this thankless dimension. As much as he hated to comply with any of Koragg's wishes, even in a roundabout way, he sure as hell wasn't dying. Not when everything he'd wanted was waiting for him outside here. No, he planned on living through this.

He stood up shakily, noticing only the vague amount of fatigue his conversation had left behind. No leftover headaches, no throbbing pressure that took hours to fade away. At least his mind was adjusting to the constant mental assaults.

In the distance, he could hear a hellish whinny. Ignoring his first instinct, to run, he stood his ground anxiously. He was going to escape this freakish place, but it would be on his own terms, not Koragg's. He was going to going to show the man that under no circumstances did he play by the Knight's rules, and he was no one's pawn. No man controlled Nick Russell.

* * *

"_Nominominus roxi_," Xander said, adding a wink to the wave of his wand. A few green sparkles jumped around his wand tip before dying out, causing the Green Ranger to frown.

"How's it going?" asked Chip, walking over to his disheartened friend with an armful of books.

"I've got nothing," he responded pitifully, "and I even winked."

"How about this one?" Chip asked, opening a book from the top of his pile. "It's supposed to contact lost loved ones."

"You might as well try," Xander said, not bothering getting his hopes up.

"_Colingo trebanage._" Nothing that time, not even a few joyless sparkles. "Damn," the young man sighed, letting the book drop with a thud. A few sparks of electricity jumped from Chip's fingers to the book and danced across the cover. Xander noticed this and managed to send his friend a tired smile.

"C'mon, mate, don't lose hope yet. We'll find a spell eventually," he said wearily. They'd been working for nearly an hour trying to get Nick back. So far, their efforts had been fruitless, but Maddie refused to let any of them stop.

"Come on, you guys. We're not going to give up. Just keep trying," the Blue Witch said for what quite possibly could've been the thousandth time.

"Hey, guys, I think I just found something," Vida shouted excitedly. Maddie perked up and ran over to her twin, Chip and Xander not far behind.

"What is it?"

"Look at this," Vida said, pointing to a short passage in an ancient looking book. "A spell of transport is a one way deal, unless a source can reverse the seal."

"So wait," said Xander, trying to process the verse. "What does that mean?"

"That's the best part," Vida answered excitedly. "I think I've got it figured out." The others looked at her expectantly. "Do you guys remember the album that came out last year, the one that I always use for scratching because when you play it backwards, it has a different beat?"

"How could I forget it?" Maddie asked, irritation shining through her voice. "You drove mom and dad nuts with it."

"That's not the point. Don't you guys see what I mean?" Chip's face lit up.

"I think I do. You think that if we say the spell backwards, it'll reverse the teleport spell and bring Nick back."

"Yes!" Vida nearly shouted, looking at her oldest friend with respect and joy. He smiled back, quite pleased with himself.

"So does anyone remember the spell Koragg used?" Xander queried, bringing a sudden downer on the group. Chip's giddy smile fell as he scrunched up his face in concentration.

"I don't think I know it," stated Xander, removing himself from the race to remember quickly.

"Me either," Vida added dejectedly after a moment's silence. Chip and Madison both remained quiet, working against their own memories to recover the spell.

"I've got something," Chip said hopefully. "But I don't think it's the whole thing, or even completely right."

"It'll have to be good enough," threw in Maddie, "because I've got nothing."

"What is it?"

Chip gave the questioning Pink Ranger a sidelong glance, taking in her anticipant stare, and answered, "Something like 'at atrium very'!" When he noticed the strange looks they were giving him because of his exuberant exclamation, he let his grin fade a bit. Moments later, he was saved by a noise from the crystal ball.

The Rangers, pushing the current situation, rushed to it in time to see an ogre using their stolen Megazord power to grow.

"Come and get me, little Rangers," he growled, smashing a car with his fists.

"Nick'll have to look after himself for a while," Xander said, wand already out. Maddie reluctantly nodded. She knew better than any of them that he could handle himself, and that he'd want her to go stop the ogre. It was the right thing to do.

"Keep trying to remember that spell, okay Chip?" she said, simultaneously stepping into formation with the others.

"Umm ... Ultrium terrace!" he shouted, realizing how wrong it sounded even as he said it. "Ready?" he asked hastily, flipping open his wand in an attempt to glaze over his sad attempt at the spell.

"Ready!" They too flipped open their wands and, in unison, shouted, "Magical source, Mystic Force!" The four teens were instantly replaced by Rangers, who disappeared into the woods and toward Briarwood on their Racers.

* * *

He could hear the footfalls (or were they hoof-falls?) of Catastros, charging intently in his direction. Fighting every instinct in him that screamed for him to run, Nick stood his ground exactly as he had an hour ago. For the past sixty minutes, the sounds of Catastros had come and gone, flooding him with relief and fear at every occurrence. The build-up was starting to become more than he could handle.

He'd almost lost the last shreds of his determination when the looming equine figure appeared through the brush, rapidly descending upon the boy. Before he could realize what he was doing, he had his wand out and pointing at the beast. Catastros stopped mere feet from the young man.

"Don't come any closer," Nick said, voice quivering. Catastros, sensing his fear, took a few goading steps forward, simultaneously sending Nick a few feet back.

"Don't!" Nick shouted, trying to sound more brave than he felt. He held his wand in the most menacing fashion he could, which really wasn't all too threatening.

The horse took a few more steps forward, but Nick could no longer move, paralyzed by fear. Memories flooded his mind, memories of the short adrenaline rush from being bucked off, of the pain as his shin was snapped in half, the weeks spent in a cast. He could almost feel the horse's weight crashing down on him again.

And then a familiar feeling washed over him, a feeling that he could never fight no matter how hard he tried. A layer of red blanketed his vision, surges of power washing over him. How dare this mere beast intimidate a powerful wizard such as he. No being was allowed such an act without punishment.

"Stop!" he shouted, voice dark and authoritative, laced with raw magic. Tendrils of red energy wove across his body, sparking as they crossed. Catastros froze in his place, finally satisfied with the response the boy had offered. He was quite powerful, the boy, rivaling that of his own so-called master Koragg. Knowing full well that this could be his true master, both beings of neither good nor evil, Catastros took a few more steps forward and lay down at Nick's feet.

Nick looked on Catastros helplessly, powerful energy dissipating as its use was fulfilled. Only the regular fear was now left, and even that was dispersing. Somehow, in those few moments where he lost himself, Catastros had become decidedly less frightening. Nick no longer felt any threat from the ebony steed and slowly bent down to touch its face and the smooth fur that covered it. As his fingers grazed the silky surface, he could've sworn he saw a spark of magic jump between himself and the horse.

Instantly, Catastros jumped up, the vivid crimson of its eyes fading into a dark mahogany brown. In a moment of unspoken purity, Nick could see the single wish lying in the horse's eyes - to be ridden not as a weapon, but as a regular horse.

Wordlessly, Nick hoisted himself onto it, taking the reins and nudging it gently on each side to spur it forward. In the very moment that the wind burst forward against his face, every fear he'd ever felt was lost in the absolute joy and freedom he felt atop Catastros. Everything that weighed down on him was ripped away in an instant of complete clarity, in which he saw the answers to all of his problems.

And then it was gone, leaving only mountains of self-doubt and confusion. He knew once again that everything in his life was going haywire, and he had no control whatsoever over what happened next.

* * *

"Ha ha, puny Rangers!" laughed the ogre in a voice that could level forests. He bashed his club down next to them, throwing the newly arrived quartet onto their backs. Xander was the first up, rubbing his helmet as if it would help the headache he'd suddenly developed.

"I think it's Titan time," he said, using his best leader-like tones. The others just nodded, picking themselves up with as much dignity as possible.

"_Galwit mysto prifior!_" they shouted, changing instantly into the Mystic Titans. Within seconds, they were assaulted with a barrage of boulders and found themselves on their backs once again. The gravelly laughter of the ogre only made it more humiliating. It did create one lucky result, though - Chip's face lit up with realization, as best his metallic features could.

"I remember the spell, guys!" he cried out happily. "Ut atrum terra!"

"So say it backward," Maddie replied impatiently.

"Ummmm ... " Chip paused, running it in reverse in his head. The ogre launched another round of stones at the group, but Xander deflected most of them with his axe so Chip could think. The trio looked back at the Garuda as the ogre decided to charge them. A smile seemed to cross the Yellow Ranger's face.

"I've got it! _Arret murta tu_!"

* * *

"Yah!" Nick shouted, urging Catastros on. Ever since his moment of clarity had passed, he'd been riding around the forest, processing what to do next. He had no idea which way to go, save for heading out to sea. It was safe to say that wasn't the way to go. He didn't even know which way led to the outside of the forest, and not just more forest.

Right now he was just riding along the beach, watching the dark waves of the ocean. All the water reminded him of Madison, and just thinking about her helped him focus. He was going to get out of this creepy place and see her again. That thought always brought him back to the main problem: how was he supposed to get out of here?

As if hearing his plight, a hovering seal flared into existence not twenty feet from the riding Red Ranger. Spurring the horse, Nick prepared himself for whatever lie on the other side of his escape route.

Strangely, all he felt was the whoosh of air from teleporting and the seamless transition into Titan form. In a flash of light, he found himself astride the metallic Catastros in the heart of downtown Briarwood, surrounded by his friends.

They all gave an individual celebratory shout and turned to their returned friend.

"Good to see you, mate," Xander said, smile shining through his unmoving face.

"Good to be back," Nick replied, distracted by the sudden prevalence of a spell on the top of his mind. "We've got some fighting to finish," he added, turning to look at the ogre. Taking a deep breath, he called out, "Centaurus Phoenix Megazord!" Instantly, he and Catastros became a single Zord, accompanied by a flash of golden-red light.

"How do you like that?" he asked the ogre mockingly. "It's on!"

* * *

Not three hundred feet from the battle, Koragg smirked from his rooftop vantage point.

"He combined with Catastros," he said, impressed and amazed. "His power is greater than I'd thought. This will be all the better when my plan comes to fruition."

* * *

"_You cannot blame yourself for this," she said, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. He only shook his head in disbelief._

"_How could I have been so careless?" he asked, voice tainted by anguish. "I let her trick me, let her put that spell on me."_

_The young woman's mouth rounded in an 'O' shape, followed by a brief shake of her head and the words, "You did not. She placed the spell on you through trickery. You could not have realized her intentions until it was too late."_

"_But I could've fought it," he whispered, shaking his head again. "I did such terrible things."_

"_You had no control over it. You know as well as I that she was a powerful sorceress and that fighting such a mind-altering spell is impossible," she said firmly, taking a seat next to the man. He turned to look at her, dark hair hanging limply around his face._

"_I'm sorry about all of this," he replied weakly, taking in the young woman's fiery red hair, so unlike her sister's blonde curls. "Udonna, I must thank you for rescuing me. If not for you, Bowen and I would be trapped in the Dark Lands, servants to the Master. I abandoned that life ages ago, and I cannot imagine our baby boy immersed in such evil."_

"_Well, I wouldn't be a good wife if I let you stay with that witch, would I?" she asked playfully, a smile gracing her face. "And now little Clare will have a playmate. I'm sure she'll appreciate that much more than unending attention." The two smiled, mood shifting to the less depressing for a moment._

"_I will be going back to war," he stated, destroying the happy mood. The young woman looked at him sadly, wishing he hadn't said that._

"_Why? If the darkness recognizes you, they could place an even stronger spell on you. You would risk losing yourself forever?"_

"_Please, do not fight me on this," he pleaded. "My mind is set. I must atone for the sins I have committed. Arguing with me will only make it that much harder." Looking into her husband's eyes and seeing the conflict in them, the pains that lie beneath the surface, she could only sigh._

"_You always were stubborn," she caved, exasperated. "If you feel you must do this, then by all means do so. I will stand by your side, as a Mystic and as a wife."_

"_How are my Mystics? Have you told them what happened?"_

"_They know and forgive you. They only wish to see their Red Mystic Warrior and friend again."_

"_By all means, then, let's go," the man said happily, knowing that his friends would not show up in Root Core on their own. Out of a doorway ran a small girl, blonde curls bobbing wildly._

"_Yay! Uncle Leanbow's back!" she squealed gleefully. The man scooped her up and hugged her tightly._

"_Yes, little one, I'm back. So is Bowen." The little girl, no older than three, pulled back._

"_Is he gonna cry all night like he did before? 'Cuz I couldn't sleep," she pouted. He set her down with a smile._

"_I hope not, but he is a baby, Clare. Babies like to cry." The little girl smiled innocently for a second, then turned to Udonna and gave her a questioning look._

"_What is it, Clare?" the young woman asked playfully._

"_Udonna, Udonna, you have to see this!" the little girl shouted. There was something wrong with her voice. It sounded too grown-up to belong to that little mouth. Something was wrong ... _

Udonna's eyes fluttered open as Clare shook her shoulder. The elder sorceress blinked, trying to understand what was going on. It all rushed to her in an instant - she was in Root Core, safe haven and base for the Rangers, meditating. She'd returned from healing an elf at the Woodland Village, only to find the Rangers rushing out, all shouting something about Nick disappearing and an ogre downtown. Something in her had suddenly been compelled to meditate on her situation with Nick. It wasn't right to keep things from him and she needed to be enlightened.

Somehow, instead of enlightenment, she'd been flooded with past memories that were warped in odd ways. They were out of place with what she knew to have actually happened, and yet they felt right. Never before had her meditations gone off in directions other than the intended path.

Clare, noticing her aunt was awake, said again, "You have to come see this, Udonna!" She ran back into the main room hurriedly, leaving Udonna to follow her in. The sorceress walked into the well-lit room to find her apprentice watching the crystal ball intently.

"What is it, Clare?" she asked, hoping for good news.

Clare, not looking away from the orb, responded, "It's Nick! He's back and he combined with Catastros!" Udonna gasped despite herself and joined her niece over the ball.

It was true. Nick had formed a Megazord with the steed. Amazing.

"Wow. It's really cool, isn't it?" Clare asked, obviously astonished.

"It truly is," Udonna whispered back. He was progressing wonderfully, both with his magic and his acceptance of his roots. But, she realized, he deserved the complete truth. She could no longer withhold so much from him. He had a right to know his full heritage, the truth of his origins, no matter how hard telling him would be.

* * *

"He combined with Catastros!" Xander shouted in awe, stating the obvious. While the others could only stare, Maddie breathed a sigh of relief. Nick was back and completely safe, at least as far as she could tell. Gently probing his mind, she found nothing beyond the roller coaster that had become their lives lately.

Nick could feel the tendrils of Maddie's mind tracing across his own, but payed them no mind, too focused on the battle. The power that Catastros offered was overwhelming. Together, he knew they could bring down the ogre.

"Your puny pony won't help you, Ranger!" the monster laughed derisively.

"We'll see about that!" Nick shouted, already knowing what to do. The long tail extending from the back of his head burst into flames. He spun it whip-like at the ogre, knocking it back and making it easy prey for his next attack. Pulling out his sword, already alight with fire, he brought leapt and brought it down swiftly on the beast. Without so much as a scream, it died in a huge explosion. A ball of golden light floated away from the fire, separating into five colors and drifting to their owners.

"Our Megazord power!" Chip exclaimed, letting the light absorb into his body like the others. Nick turned to his friends as he received his power, parting from Catastros. The horse lingered as the others approached him, looking on in awe. Vida even dared to touch it, laying a hand gently on its hind leg.

"It's gorgeous," she murmured, any previous fears melting away. There was no malicious intent coming from the horse at all. Maybe that was why she was so surprised when it reared and took off, throwing the tiny Titan back.

From nowhere appeared Koragg, who joined with Catastros to form his own Centaurus Megazord. He stared down the gawking Titans, particularly the Phoenix.

"You have proven yourself worthy yet again, my son," he said, triumph barely contained by his cool demeanor. "You passed my test, though not in the way I'd expected. I am pleased." He moved his gaze to the group as a whole. "We will meet again, Rangers." A dark circle pulled him down, leaving four questioning Titans and one exhausted Phoenix who got the feeling that he wasn't quite off the hook yet.

* * *

"Okay, I have a question for you," Vida stated as soon as they'd entered Root Core. "What is going on with you? What's the deal with you and Koragg?" Nick heard this last sentence and realized she was talking to him. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's a long story," he replied nonchalantly. Vida wasn't about to be brushed off that easily, though.

"I've got the time," she said, paying no mind to the looks everyone else was giving the pair.

"Are all you Roccas naturally so curious?" he threw back. He'd been planning on telling his friends everything for a while now, but he'd rather it was on his own terms.

"Hey!" Maddie and Vida shouted in unison, the former in a much more good-natured way than her sister.

"You didn't answer me,"Vida said a moment later, still determined to find out what was going on with her friend. He'd been through a lot since becoming a Ranger, that much she knew. But she also knew that he was keeping something from her, and it was something important.

"Do we really need to do this right now?"

"Yeah, we do," Vida said indignantly, a spattering of anger beginning to glint in her eyes. He was trying to avoid answering her. "I want some answers because there's something weird going on with you, and you won't tell anyone but Madison! You made a promise not to keep any secrets, but somehow I get the feeling that you've got a huge one. We're friends, Nick, and you made a promise! Does that mean anything to you?"

"You want to know what my goddamn secret is?" Nick asked back, voice sharp as a razor's edge. He didn't care about telling them at the right time now. Vida's inquisition had pushed him an inch too far and he didn't really care about subtlety or timing anymore. "Koragg's my father. Happy? I said it. Koragg is my father." Four jaws simultaneously dropped around the room. Udonna stood frozen in the doorway, caught in the middle of approaching the boy. Vida, Chip and Xander could only gape at their friend's honest outburst.

"Oh, Nick," Maddie whispered, walking over to her boyfriend. She took his chin and made him look at her, breaking the steely gaze he had kept on Vida. Without warning, he found himself locked into a passionate kiss, which he eagerly sent back. As the two pulled apart, the stasis the room had fallen into seemed to evaporate.

"Maddie, I ... " he tried to say letting the words die out as he said them. She just smiled at him.

"It's okay. Now it isn't a secret, and we don't have to keep it anymore."

"Wait ... " Vida managed, breaking apart the couple with her words. "Koragg is your father? How is that possible?"

"Well, I'm adopted. That helps explain it. Apparently Phineas took me to the human world after Udonna took me away from Koragg and the darkness. And here I am. It really does explain a lot, you know, like my Firestarter tendencies since I was little."

"So that's why he's so interested in you? He thinks you're supposed to be evil like him?"

"Yeah, pretty much. He wants to help me recognize my 'true power', or something like that. Thinks I should be serving evil by his side."

"Okay, so he's nuts," Xander added with a hint of a smile. "But, seriously, why didn't you tell us? You know, 'no secrets' and all that?" His words were light, but they carried a darker edge of disappointment and traces of anger.

"I was planning on telling you soon. I just hadn't found the right time yet. At least you guys know now, though." He fell silent along with the others, all processing this new information.

"So you know," Udonna said finally, breaking the temporary quiet. The Rangers turned to see her standing stock-still in a doorway, staring at Nick.

"Did you know?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. She nodded. "And you didn't tell me because ... " He let his words drift off, seeking an answer.

"I wasn't sure how you would handle it. Now that you know, though ... " She walked over to him, looking him straight in the eye. "You must know the whole truth."

"What, you weren't telling me the full truth last time? Am I not really from here?" he questioned, slightly confused.

"I was not completely honest with you. You are still of this dimension, and Koragg is still your father. This was his," she said quietly, opening her hand to reveal a silver ring.

"How'd you get that?"

"He gave it to me before returning to war," she answered, an underlying hint of sadness in her voice.

"But how - I thought you said ... " He let his words drift off as he tried to piece together the truth.

"I said he was evil?" Udonna finished for him. "Yes, I did say that. Unfortunately, that wasn't the complete truth. Your father was indeed evil at several points in his life, but he chose good magic. He was never evil by choice."

"But he's still evil," Nick added questioningly.

"Yes, I know. Until very recently, I had no idea that Koragg and your father were one and the same. You see, your father was born to the darkness. At a young age, he defected to the light and found his way to my family. We took him in, and he stayed with us from then on. Once the Great War came about, he was a formidable warrior and wizard and gladly fought against his roots by our side."

"Wait, wait," he said, holding up a halting hand. "Koragg was born evil and turned good? Is that even possible?" Udonna nodded.

"It is incredibly rare, but not unheard of. That made him an invaluable asset to our cause, as he knew many dark tactics, having been trained in them from an early age. After several months, though, we began to notice that he was disappearing for days, even weeks, and then showing up again without an excuse. After some scrying and searching, we learned that he was secretly seeing a young sorceress named Akaia."

"What's so wrong about that?"

"She was a servant of the darkness. Later we would find out that she was only enlisted to seduce him in order to bring him back to their side. Now, though, we only knew what he eventually told us of her. It took time, but we persuaded him to bring her to us after many claims of her turn to the light. Imagine our surprise when we met her and she was pregnant."

"With me, right? Don't tell me I have some evil sister out there."

"Yes, with you. You are their only child. Only weeks after joining us in the light, they both disappeared again. I searched for months and eventually found them. You had already been born, and she'd gone through the dangerous process of finding your true name."

"True name? What's that?"

"Your true name is the one name that corresponds to your inner being and greatly enhances your magic. Finding someone's true name is too difficult for most to undertake, as you may even die in the act. She did it, though, and bestowed upon you the name Nickolaus. I became your nurse in order to get close to Leanbow. For days on end, I worked memory restoration spells on him, and I finally succeeded at bringing back his old memories. I sent him back home with you, and was about to leave myself when Akaia caught me. We dueled and I got the upper hand. She ended up killing herself rather than dying at my hand. There was nothing I could do, so I headed home."

"And all this makes me what? Evil? Half-evil?"

"You are what you choose to be. You can follow a path of evil, or live for the light like your father did. Even after everything he went through, he still participated in the Great Battle, despite the risk of being recaptured by the darkness. It was during this battle that he fought as the Red Mystic Warrior for the last time. He was trapped behind the Gates as Niella was closing them, pushing the last of the Hidiacs into the Underworld." She paused to sigh, eyes misting over. "On that day, I lost my sister and my friends. All that remained were you and Clare."

"Clare?" Nick asked. "What's Clare have to do with this?"

"She is my niece, the daughter of my sister Niella."

"So why did you keep her and put me with my family? Not that I'm complaining," he added hurriedly, receiving a small smirk from his elder.

"It pained me to do it, but I knew that if I kept you here, the remnants of the darkness would come after you. They knew nothing of Clare, but knew full well of the extent of your powers. You couldn't stay here. You needed to be some place where magic existed only as a myth, where no forester would dare to venture. I scried for a proper family for you, and found one not far from Briarwood. It was perfect, as our world and Briarwood overlap in the forest. Keeping watch over you would be easy. I reluctantly let Phineas take you to your grandparents, as I was needed to heal the wounded, and Daggeron and Calindor had disappeared."

"Who are Daggeron and Calindor?"

"Daggeron was your father's apprentice, and the Solaris Knight. Calindor was a great warrior and friend who too vanished during the Great Battle," she responded, sadness in her voice. "I made sure to keep a close watch over you for several years afterward, to make sure your magic was fading, as it did. Soon it came down to rare instances of strong emotion, so I devoted more of my time to training Clare and I soon lost track of you. It wasn't until the earthquake released Koragg did I check up on you again, and found you in Briarwood of your own volition."

"Is that why you came to that place specifically when you asked for help?"

Xander, who'd been listening along with Chip, Madison and Vida, raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean 'when you asked for help'? That was an old man looking for his brother," he said like Nick was being stupid. Nick and Madison exchanged smiles as Udonna turned to Xander and quickly changed into the old man and back. The Green Ranger seemed stunned.

"I was the old man," she answered with a smile. "And yes, that was one reason I chose that spot to ask for help," she said, turning to face Nick again. "Your friends had also shown great magical capabilities with what little magic seeped into their world through the forest. Combined with your presence, it was the most logical choice. I was going to give up on you later when you didn't believe, but Clare urged me to try again. When I saw you defend your friends from Koragg, I knew you were truly your father's son."

Udonna's green eyes sparkled with the memories of her old friend, and Nick let her reminisce. He himself was lost in thought, picking apart this new information. It felt like something was wrong with the story, as if it had been skewed somehow, though Udonna seemed to believe it wholeheartedly. Before he could mentally explore this feeling anymore, Udonna broke the silence that had fallen over the room.

"Not many can say they've ridden the mighty Catastros," she said, respect obvious in her voice. Nick looked up at her face, smiling happily as he momentarily relived it.

"Yeah, it was beyond awesome. You've still got to give props to them, though," he added, motioning to his friends. "If it wasn't for them, I'd still be riding up and down that freaky beach." The four other teens smiled, none of them more widely than Chip.

"It was actually mostly Chip," Madison said. "He's the one that remembered the spell."

"It was nothing," the Yellow Ranger said, grinning ear to ear crazily.

"I'm proud of you all. Nick mastered his fear and you all worked as a team. You are coming along quite well, as Rangers and as wizards," Udonna said, smile gracing her features. The Rangers all beamed proudly.

"This whole thing has been so cool," Nick said after a minute. "A couple months ago, I had a small family and almost no friends, none of which were troblins, by the way," he added with a grin.

"Phineas?" Udonna asked, already knowing the answer. "You wouldn't believe how long I've known him. He's been a family friend for decades."

"No way," Nick replied disbelievingly. "Decades?"

"Yes, decades. Troblins age differently than we humans do, much likes elves. He hasn't changed since I was a young girl, and he was a great help in the Great War."

"Phineas fought?" Vida enquired, an eyebrow arched.

"Not much, but he would occasionally join the fray. His magic is stronger than it may seem. Usually his work was more on the information end, though. It ended up causing both sides to distrust him." Nick could only shake his head in disbelief. They were talking about their troblin friend's role in a magical war.

"If you'd told me that I'd be a Power Ranger that's friends with a troblin and uses magic a month or two ago, I'd have told you that you were nuts. Somehow, I'm guessing it's only going to get weirder from here, though."

"I hope so," Chip said enthusiastically. Everyone smiled, but Nick's eyes went wide.

"Oh, great. What time is it?" he asked. Xander checked his phone.

"Six-thirty," he answered. "Why?"

"Gracey was having friends over tonight for dinner, and she wanted me to be there at six. I'm dead." The look on his face was a mixture of horror and fear. Maddie only smiled and took his hand.

"Come on," she said. "You can blame me. Gracey'll understand, and you can introduce us. She sounds like she's a lot of fun."

Nick rolled his eyes and muttered, "Tons." Begrudgingly, he walked out the door with Madison, completely unprepared to experience what would prove to be one of the most interesting dinner parties his sister had ever held.

* * *

_A/N_ - Yes, another chapter. Up a little later than I'd wanted, but whatever. It's nice and long. I even redid most of the final scene so it'd work a little better in the story.

Dark Wish rocked my face into oblivion. The second part was my favorite, especially when Nick tried to attack Koragg with his own sword. "And you guys took his sword away from me... " The whole second part was great, as were the unmorphed fights. I heart Dark Wish Part II.


	11. Chapter Ten

"No way," Maddie said with an indignant smile. "The ending was too predictable. The whole movie was so formulaic." Nick shook his head.

"I still liked it. I don't care if the formula's been used a hundred times, the movie was still interesting. I loved it when he jumped off the building, only to have the helicopter catch him."

"I'm not saying it wasn't interesting, I'm just saying that it was predictable."

"So? You can love a predictable movie."

"I know, I know," she replied, rolling her eyes. "It's just the film maker in me crying out for a surprising ending." He only responded by shaking his head good-naturedly and taking her hand in his as they walked into the warm night air. Nick had secretly requested the day off for both of them to celebrate Maddie's birthday. Technically, it was Vida's too, but the girl refused to take the day off. She said she was in the groove and needed to get onto her turntables. That had left Nick to surprising Madison at her front door that morning, ready to take her wherever she wanted.

They walked quietly for a few minutes, just enjoying the night and each others presence. A fiery sun glittered just above the horizon, capturing Nick so well that he was only jolted to reality when he felt Madison's lips pressing against his. She pulled away as soon as she saw him pull himself back down to earth.

"Hey... " He leaned in and gave her a kiss, lasting longer than the previous. Responding quickly, she kissed him back, pulling him deeper into it. Somehow their tongues found their way into each others mouth. A fleeting thought in the back of Nick's mind wished they were in the privacy of the forest right now, but it was quickly forgotten. Only when an older woman passing the couple, who were stopped quite inconveniently in the middle of the sidewalk, gave a loud "Hmph!" did they pull apart. They grinned crazily at each other, but all happy thoughts were pushed aside by a throbbing pain in their temples.

'_How wonderfully lovely,'_ mocked a voice inside both of their minds. They both grabbed at their heads and doubled over, garnering a strange glare from the older lady.

'_What do you want?'_ Nick thought at the mental intruder, eyes shut forcefully.

'_And why can I hear you?'_ Maddie asked, her voice echoing in Nick's mind alongside Koragg's.

'_I'm taking advantage of the telepathy you created between yourself and my son. Your mind is accessible to me through his. As for what I want, you will only find out if you meet me in the woods. Do not bring the other Rangers, or I will take drastic measures. You have fifteen minutes, or your pitiful city will know my wrath.'_ And he was gone, leaving both teenagers with large headaches. Maddie was the first to look up, grinning slightly despite the cold sweat on her cheeks.

"Wow. I can see why you don't like talking to him," she said jokingly. "So what are we going to do?" Nick shook his head.

"We'll have to meet him, or he'll come to us. Having him show up in the city is not a good idea," he added, various situations crossing his mind. "We need to hurry." They ducked into a back alley and, sure that no one was around, Nick muttered, "_Uthe sastos._"

They appeared easily in a remote part of the forest, standing back to back as to watch all directions. Nearly ten minutes passed without any sign of the Knight Wolf, and they began to grow restless. After another ten minutes passed, Nick finally heard something from behind himself and turned to see if Maddie had seen what it was. Instead of seeing her standing behind him, he was greeted by another visage.

"Koragg," he growled, fury tainting his voice. "Where's Madison?" The Knight Wolf said nothing, only stepping aside to reveal Maddie standing over a spell seal, throwing spell after spell at the knight. The spells hit an invisible wall at the edge of the violet circle and dissipated without a sound.

"Let her go," Nick demanded, ferocity glinting dangerously in his eyes. He pointed his wand at Koragg like a sword. The elder wizard smirked beneath his helmet.

"I find your foolish gestures quite amusing, son. They will not help you free your love, though. Only you can do so."

"How?" It was amazing how much venom you fill a single word with.

"By submitting to me. In twenty-four hours time, I will return here to learn of your decision: join me in your rightful place at my side, or watch the witch die. If you choose to show up with other Rangers or do not come at all, she will die."

"You bastard," Nick whispered harshly. The man laughed a deep, derisive laugh.

"So you understand? If you do not join me, you will watch her blood stain the earth." Nick stared down the man without mercy. A fire erupted on the ground near the knight's boots.

"Angry, are we?" the elder laughed. "Good, but not good enough. _Exstinguo_." The flames died out instantly, leaving only charred grass. "By this time tomorrow, you will be mine, unless you let her die. Then you are already mine." The trapped girl tried to yell something, but Koragg silenced her with a flick of his wrist.

"Twenty-four hours," he stated, smiling viciously under his helmet. "Until then." Both he and Madison disappeared into the ground, the shaken Nick standing stock-still in his spot.

After several minutes, the gears began to turn inside the Red Ranger's head. He knew what he had to do. Teleporting through the nearest tree, he continued his march across the street and into the Rock Porium without looking anywhere but ahead. His three friends all looked up as he stormed in, Vida smiling at him.

"What's up?" she asked, smile falling a bit as she glanced around. "Where's Maddie?"

He sighed as the two guys joined Vida and himself, forcing himself to push the words out despite the overwhelming feeling to set anything and everything on fire.

"We've got a problem."

* * *

"Let me go, you bastard!" Madison writhed against the cold chains that held her back, but it was no use. They were magically sealed and she couldn't reach her wand. Not that she actually knew any spells to counter Koragg's, anyway.

"Pleasantries will get you nowhere," her captor smirked. He demorphed and looked her in the eye. "You will be out of here soon enough, Blue Witch. Whether you live past that is up to my son. I have no doubt that he will give himself up for you, and he will finally be where he belongs."

"He'll find a way to get me out," she replied hopefully, mustering all of her bravado. The Knight Wolf only laughed mockingly, dark hair falling away from his face.

"There is no chance of that. My lair is cloaked to prevent him from teleporting to you, and I can easily sense any others at our meeting tomorrow. There is no other option. He will submit, and your Red Ranger will be my son once again. Together we will bring down your world." A passion burned in his eyes like nothing she had ever seen.

"What are you going to do to him? You know he won't turn evil of his own free will," Maddie stated, struggling against Koragg as he took her chin in his hand roughly.

"That is the beauty of magic, my dear lady. I'm going to show him his true darkness so that your light is a thing of the past. When I'm through with him, you and your Rangers will be as much his enemies as you are mine, and you are powerless to stop me." He about-faced and walked out of the cave, Maddie hanging dejectedly on a wall alone. She wasn't sure how she was going to get out of this, but she knew she would. She had to, for Nick's sake and hers.

* * *

"What do you mean, he took Maddie?" Vida roared, garnering the attention of the last few customers and Toby.

"What's wrong, you guys?" he asked innocently, handing some change to a young woman. Vida, seething with anger, turned to her boss, sharp remark on the tip of her tongue. Xander covered her mouth quickly and flashed his most charming smile at Toby.

"What V here was going to say is that we need to leave early. Would you mind if you closed up tonight?"

"Okay, fine. But you guys... " He let his words die when he saw the teens already out the door, Xander pulling out the writhing Vida away between Nick and Chip.

Once they had successfully dragged her over to what was now their tree, Xander released his powerful grip on Vida. She sputtered momentarily while giving her Green Wizard friend a death glare. It was quickly shifted over to Nick, though, who refused to shrink under such a gaze.

"So what's this bullshit about Maddie being gone?" she spat, intensifying her glare, if that was possible.

Rubbing one temple vigorously, Nick responded, "I told you, Koragg took her. We were on the way back from the theater when he started talking to us telepathically. He wanted to meet us both in the forest, or he'd come here. We knew that it'd be easier and smarter to face him in the forest, so we went. Before I realized it, he had Madison and I had an ultimatum. Join him or watch Madison die. If I don't show up in the same place at the same time tomorrow night, or if you guys come along, he'll kill her. After that, he disappeared with her and I came straight here." Vida's eyes burned with rage; whether it was directed at himself or Koragg, Nick had no idea.

"So this is your fault?" she accused, taking a step forward menacingly. Realizing that it was very possible she'd deck Nick any moment, Chip and Xander hastily restrained her.

"Slow down there, V," Xander said, struggling against her. He may have been the strongest in the group, but he was nothing compared to a ticked Vida. Nick stood in his place, face showing early signs of exhaustion.

"I know it's my fault," he sighed. "Koragg wants me and no one is going to get in his way. It's my fault Maddie is in danger."

"And what do you plan on doing about this?" Vida asked, voice a few shades lighter. She could see the guilt in her friend's eyes, but sometimes it was hard to let go of her anger so quickly.

"I'm just going to have to go along with Koragg, I guess. As much as I don't like it, I'm not going to be the reason Maddie dies." As much courage as his words carried, his eyes told more of defeat. He was going to do the thing he had vowed never to do in order to protect the life of Madison. The trio stood in utter silence for a moment, digesting exactly what Nick was going to do.

"Wait!" Vida said excitedly. Something had just occurred to her, something that could potentially help them. "Does that telepathy spell thing still work between you and Maddie?" Nick's face lit up.

"Yeah, it does. I'll try." He closed his eyes and concentrated on following the winding mental trail back to her. Finally, he could feel her presence and her alarm at his sudden arrival.

'_Maddie?'_ he probed gently.

'_I'm here,'_ she replied.

'_Where are you?'_ She didn't respond instantly, but he could feel several lines of thought running through her mind. He couldn't make out what they really were, but it felt like they had to do with him.

'_See for yourself,'_ she answered finally. Her intense concentration drifted over to him as a strange feeling rippled across both his mind and body. He could feel his mind drawing closer to her until they'd almost become one, too close to differentiate.

Nick could feel his eyes sliding open, but they weren't his. Everything around him was dark, the rare glint of purple-ish light dancing around the uneven rock face that was the walls. He tried to move an arm, but found it chained to a wall and draped in a light cloth that was spattered with grime.

'_This is where I am,'_ Maddie said, the voice coming to him like his own thoughts would.

'_How cosy,'_ he replied, sarcasm dripping from his thoughts. _'And he hasn't hurt you at all?'_

'_No. Wouldn't want to damage his leverage, would he?'_ she responded bitterly. At that moment, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss her and say everything would be over soon. Unfortunately, he happened to be in her body and she was chained up. It would be just a tad bit weird to see her hugging herself.

A sound suddenly caught his ears before he could pursue the thought any further.

'_Someone's coming,'_ he stated.

'_It's probably Koragg. He checks up on me every so often.'_ True to her word, Koragg appeared in what could be called the doorway, demorphed and smirking.

"Hello again, young witch," he said cheerfully, running a finger along her cheek.

"Don't touch me," Nick felt himself say without much control.

"Feisty as ever, I see," he smirked, ignoring her words. Nick felt Koragg jerk her chin up rapidly, searching her dark brown eyes.

"There's something more in your eyes," he murmured after a moment, stepping back. "Tell me, who are you channeling?" His eyes had become accusatory slits, recognizing the magic.

"Like I'd ever tell you," the Blue Ranger spat. Without warning, Koragg was nearly on top of her again, his hand wrapped tightly around one of her wrists. Nick could feel a furious hatred burning within them, but he couldn't tell whether it was his or Maddie's.

Before anyone could realize it, Maddie's hand, which had Koragg's own around its wrist, was burning brightly. Koragg, for a split second, was startled, lurching back as he tried to regain his composure and retreat from the fiery witch.

"And so you reveal our guest, Blue Witch. I see my own son is in our presence. That can be remedied, though," he added with a smirk. "You see, channeling is an effective method for temporarily increasing your knowledge and power. That is, as long as your enemy doesn't realize you're doing it. The counter spell is simple and can be used at any time. All it requires is physical contact with the vessel. Quite ingenious to use it, though, being a magical novice. I will make sure to protect my lair from it from here on out, as will I protect our meeting tomorrow. And now, my son, this is goodbye. _Desino kanal_." He held up his right hand, glowing with the effects of the spell.

With a final smirk, Nick saw the man thrust his hand at Maddie's upper chest. The profound feeling of being ripped apart washed over him, lingering for a few seconds as he felt himself suddenly sitting limply against a tree. When he opened his eyes, he saw his friends looking at him hopefully, all crouched down to his sitting position.

"Finally back with us?" Vida asked with a smile.

"Gave us a right scare there when you collapsed," Xander added, patting Nick's shoulder.

"Collapsed?" the Red Ranger asked. He rubbed the back of his head where he could already feel a knot growing.

"Yeah, it was kind of freaky," Chip said ebulliently. "At first, you were just standing there with your eyes shut, but then after a few minutes you just kind of crumpled. That's when we sat you up against the tree so it wouldn't look too weird."

"So what happened?" Vida enquired, unable to restrain herself any longer. "Did you talk to my sis?" Nick nodded back slowly.

"We talked a little bit," he answered, a strange look crossing face. "But then she did this weird thing to me and suddenly I was in her body. That's probably why I collapsed, I guess."

"Wait, you were _inside_ Maddie's body?"

"Yeah. It was weird. Really weird," he appended. "Koragg came in and wouldn't leave her alone and tried to get her to admit who she was channeling. I think that's what he called what she was doing to me. Anyway, she got all mad and wouldn't tell him, so he grabbed her hand really violently and that's when things got weirder. Maddie's hand just burst into flames. Not like she was actually on fire, or anything, but like I could. Koragg freaks out and now he knows it's me and starts talking about channeling. Then he uses this spell on Maddie, and here I am again." He took a deep breath as the other three soaked up the information. Xander was the first to respond with a slight smile.

"So we could use this channeling thing to talk to Maddie here, right? Just bring her here and talk for her," he said hopefully.

"I don't think so," Nick said with a shake of his head. "He mentioned protecting himself and his lair from channeling."

"But not from telepathy," Vida added. "So what's stopping us from using the spell to contact her?"

"It's not that easy. Both people need to be together to use it."

"But what about you and Koragg? We never saw him use the spell on you. He didn't, did he?" Chip questioned.

"I think that was because we're related. It probably builds on whatever link was already there."

"So I could do it to Madison and I right now?" Vida asked, eyes full of hope again.

"You can try. He might've protected his lair from our magic by now." Vida rolled her eyes and looked at their leader indignantly.

"Just gimme the spell."

"Alright," he resigned. "It's unios mens." He pushed himself to his feet gingerly, letting the others follow as they pleased. Vida was the only one to stay in her crouched position, muttering the spell repeatedly and focusing intently on Maddie. She was suddenly and unexpectedly thrown back by an unseen force, crashing hard onto the ground. The guys rushed to her groaning form instantly.

"Are you okay, V?" Chip asked hastily. He checked her over for injuries as the other two helped her up.

"Fine," she whispered. Regaining her balance easily, she repeated, "Fine. Really, I'm fine, you guys. But -" She stopped as Nick doubled over in pain, temples about to explode. Any severity the mental assaults had once held was now tripled as the Red Ranger let out a strangled moan. He felt the intruder not only enter his mind forcefully, but completely take it over. Nick was lost in the ether as Koragg took center stage in his son's body.

"Hello, Rangers," he could vaguely feel himself saying. As if through some ghostly, out of body point of view, Nick could see himself standing up straight, a vicious look of hate crossing his own face as he surveyed the Rangers.

"I wouldn't advise you to try that little trick again, Pink Witch," he felt himself sneer, "unless you'd like to die next time."

Chip, figuring out what was going on, stood up and glared at Nick. "What'd you do to Nick, Koragg?"

"We're a bright one, aren't we?" Koragg said derisively. "Don't worry, my son will return soon. I am only here to warn you of interfering. If any of you are anywhere near our interchange tomorrow, the Blue Witch will die. The same goes for Udonna, Clare or the troblin. I will not hesitate to kill the witch if I so much as sense you. This matter is between my son and I, and it will remain that way." He stopped, letting the Rangers absorb his words. Nick could only watch helplessly from his position, hatred toward Koragg swelling.

The trio of Rangers stared at Koragg, standing so cheekily in Nick's body. It was equally as strange to hear their friend talking in that antiquated way and in such menacing tones. They'd heard him talk like that before, but this was on a whole new level of evil.

"Why don't you just go away?" Vida snarled, pushing herself forward to stand next to Chip, Xander joining her.

"Get out of here and get out of Nick," the Green Ranger added, a look of fierce determination crossing his features. Koragg smirked at them.

"I see that I am not wanted here," he said innocently, as if he were the victim. "Rest assured that we will meet again, Rangers." Nick's body collapsed to its knees as Nick himself was forcibly pushed back in. The others rushed over to him, Vida reaching him first.

"You okay, man?" she asked, helping him up.

"I'm good," he managed. "But wow. That can really take it out of a guy."

"That bad, huh?" Chip said, a small smile on his lips.

"Nah. Everything was peachy until I was ripped out of my body and then forced back in." They all smiled back at him. He let Vida let go of him, regaining his strength quickly.

"So now what?" asked Xander. Everyone was quiet for a minute, pondering the possibilities.

Chip was the first to answer, saying, "Should we talk to Udonna?"

"I don't know," Nick replied, looking wary. "I don't know how much she'll be able to help. Koragg's protecting himself and Maddie from our magic, like Vida found out. There may not be much any of us can do. I'll go talk with her after this, but I know what I have to do. I think I'm just going to enjoy one last night here, because I have no idea where I'll be at this time tomorrow."

"Why don't you hang out with us? I know you and Maddie had plans, but... " Vida let her words trail off, not wishing to mention her sister too much.

"I'd love to, but I need to get home tonight. How about tomorrow?"

"You got it," Vida said, already pulling out the keys to her jeep. "Until then." Xander gave Nick a quick smile and a wave goodbye before jogging to catch up with the already leaving girl who happened to be his ride home that night. Chip hung around for a few more minutes before catching the bus that would take him as far into the countryside of Briarwood as any bus would go and close enough to walk to his uncle's farm, leaving Nick alone.

The Red Ranger stood silently for a few minutes after that, watching the vivid reds and purples of the sunset in the distance. He eventually broke himself away from the colors and stepped reservedly through a tree, knowing that he wasn't going to find any answers from Udonna. If she could even offer any help, he knew none of it would work. There was only one sure way to get Madison back safely, and he knew exactly what it would take. It would take him.

* * *

"I'm telling you guys, it's freaky! Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix all died at twenty-seven. That can't be a coincidence," Chip argued, gesticulating wildly despite the cotton candy in his hand. Two of the others shook their heads, while the last calmly kept walking with the rest.

"Look, mate, we understand, but I don't see the big deal. They died at twenty-seven. That doesn't mean that there's an alien conspiracy to kill them floating somewhere in the universe. I bet millions of people have died at twenty-seven," Xander replied, snatching a piece of his friend's cotton candy and popping it in his mouth.

"I don't know," Nick said. "After everything that we've been through, and Rangers before us, it's hard to believe that there aren't crazy aliens out there somewhere."

Vida shook her head, face mostly obscured by a large pink teddy bear she'd won, not only for the fact that it was pink, but for the blue mohawk it sported and the gold hoop through its nose. The others had never seen anything quite like it, and Vida had wanted it instantly. She'd played the game for nearly ten minutes before she'd finally shot the proper duck and scared the kids around her with her excited shout of glee.

"But all those aliens were trying to take over the world, not kill seventies rock stars. It just seems a little farfetched to me," she added, voice muffled by the bear's head.

"Having a little trouble there, V?" Xander asked with a smile, looking over at his annoyed friend as she struggled to hold up the large bear. It was resting in his arms before he could blink, Vida smiling wickedly.

"'Strong as a tree,' right?" she asked, faux innocence on her face. Chip and Nick stifled giggles as two girls walked past the Green Ranger, pointing and whispering. He could only frown, knowing that if he tried to give it back to Vida, the mockery would never end. Not that it was going to end tonight, anyway. For the rest of the walk back to their tree, whenever there was a lull in the conversation, someone would just break out the teasing, and the conversation was on again. They'd barely realized that they were already at the tree until Nick stopped, nearly running into his parked bike.

"We're here," he said needlessly. The other three's lines of vision moved from the bike to Nick himself, realization dawning on their faces. The day was winding to an end, and they all knew what that meant: Nick was going to leave them in exchange for Maddie.

"Look, guys... "Nick began, not really sure what to say next. Vida cut him off.

"Don't," she said, words softer than usual. "We know." He smiled sadly.

"This is for the best, guys. It'll all work itself out eventually."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Xander.

"I can't. I can just hope." He paused, letting out a long sigh. "You know that the next I see you guys, I won't be exactly myself. This could be goodbye for a while."

"Will it really be that long?" Chip asked cheerlessly, eyes downcast.

"I don't know how long it'll be," he answered truthfully.

"How will you explain this to your family?"

"I talked to my grandma this morning, and she said she'd cover for me. She knows my secret, so it wasn't too hard to convince her." Pausing again, he took on final steadying breath. "Thanks for today. I'll never forget it." He doubted any of them would. Eating Chinese take-out and hanging out in the Rock Porium while Vida and Chip worked, then heading to the carnival afterward - it had been an insane day.

"We don't want you to forget us," Vida said, tears glistening on the brims of her eyes. Nick found himself suddenly enveloped in a bear hug with the girl. He could feel a few hot tears soak into his dark t-shirt before she looked up vengefully.

"That didn't happen," she growled, only half joking. Chip and Xander each shook his hand before quickly giving in and pulling him into the less manly one-armed hug.

"See ya, mate," the Green Ranger said as he pulled back, leaving Nick feeling very alone.

"Bye, you guys," he replied, voice filled with countless emotions as he stepped through the tree. He knew that the next time he saw them, they'd be ready to fight each other.

* * *

The reality of the situation had only begun to hit him as he stepped onto the forest floor. It was possible that he'd never see his family or friends again. At least, not in any good way. There was a tiny shred of hope he clung to and refused to let go of, one that told him that somehow his friends would get both him and Madison out of this alive. He wasn't destined to be evil, but here he was, ready to take the plunge in exchange for the life of the girl he loved.

"You showed up. I'm not surprised," called out a voice from Nick's left. He turned to see exactly whom he expected: Koragg and a chained Madison. "The darkness calls to you, and you can deny it no longer."

"Just let her go," Nick replied flatly.

"Come to me and I will," the Knight Wolf replied.

Knowing full well that Koragg wouldn't back down, Nick headed to the man's side, muttering as he arrived, "Evil or not, I will kill you if you don't let her go."

"I am honor bound by our agreement. She is free," Koragg stated emotionlessly, ignoring his son's comment. He pushed the girl away from him and before she could react, he'd confined her to a violet circle. She threw every spell she knew at the Knight Wolf, but he only laughed as they stopped at the circle's edge much like the day before. With a firm hand on Nick's shoulder, he summoned a bright circle under their feet.

"Foolish witch. I may have freed you, but I'm not done yet. You will watch as my son is turned to the darkness." By now, Nick's face had contorted with pure rage.

"What are you doing?" he asked furiously.

"I am going to destroy your witch's hope. She will despair as you are brought to your true nature and she can do nothing about it." The young man stared at his father with unadulterated hate, mind reeling with the different ways he could inflict pain on him. A single, meek thought fought to rise above the rest - this was exactly what Koragg wanted, for Nick to wish pain and suffering on him, an undeniable step toward the darkness if acted upon. Forcibly banishing the thoughts, he tried teleporting to Madison. A flash of light and a sharp pain later, he found himself staring up at the sky, still in Koragg's circle.

"Nice try," the older man laughed. "My circles prevent all good magic from both entering and leaving. You are mine. Get up." Nick lie on the ground for a few more seconds before resignedly getting up.

"The time has come. Kneel," commanded Koragg as Nick stood up straight. With a roll of his eyes, the boy obeyed, dropping to one knee. The Knight Wolf touched his sword point to the center of his son's forehead.

"_Umbre naturalis_." The circle beneath them changed with his words, turning blood red and shooting dark crimson sparks up at them. Only one spark seemed to touch them, connecting with Koragg's sword, running along the tarnished silver edges and arcing like lightning to Nick. His entire body lit up as he doubled over in pain, head clutched between his hands tightly.

Maddie could only stare on in horror. Nick was in pain just feet from her and yet she was helpless to do anything. She felt so useless.

The sparks disappeared as suddenly as they'd come, leaving a tense, heavily breathing Nick. He was still on the ground holding his head, but he was completely still. Then, slowly, his hands fell to his side as he visibly relaxed. Very deliberately, he began to stand up, eyes still closed as if he were in deep thought. Madison watched every motion intently. After what seemed like hours, he was fully upright. She could see his eyes darting behind his eyelids, but when they suddenly shot open, she couldn't help but recoil.

Nick's once gorgeous green eyes were now a cruel shade of crimson. They scanned the area, taking in everything as if seeing it for the first time.

"Where am I?" he asked, voice devoid of any emotion. Maddie could've broken down at that very moment. Her hope shriveled as she thought of her courageous, passionate Nick lost to this half-assed version.

"You will know if only you think," Koragg replied. Nick followed this his words, hiding those harsh eyes as he thought.

"I am Nickolaus," he said slowly, bits and pieces coming to him. "Red Mystic Force Ranger, wizard and... Rock Porium employee?" Koragg shook his head at his son's questioning words.

"Forget that. It is a part of your past." Nick absorbed the command, not stopping as he remembered more.

"I am in a forest bordering the human city of Briarwood with you, my father Leanbow, and -" He stopped mid-sentence, a flicker of true emotion crossing his face as realization dawned on him. Turning to Madison, he continued, a touch of emotion now gracing his voice. "- and Madison, my girlfriend."

"Forget her, too. She is worthless and will die at our hands." Nick shot his father a deadly look with his fierce eyes, now holding more than evil in their depths.

"No. I told you before that I'd kill you if you hurt her, and no amount of evil will stop me from keeping that promise. I don't plan on forgetting her or how much I love her." If he hadn't been morphed, the two teens would've been able to see the utter astonishment on Koragg's face. The boy's grip on himself was amazing.

Looking back to Maddie, Nick smiled a true smile, rare to anyone in the hold of darkness. He walked to her, crossing both circles with ease and helping her stand up. She searched his eyes, which had softened considerably, for any other traces of his former self.

"Madison, I know that you'll never submit to the same spell, if you even have a dark side, and you'll never come to the Underworld with me. That means that for now, this is goodbye." He leaned in, surprising her with a deep, passionate kiss, bordering on lustful. Never had a kiss gotten her so hot and bothered.

Too soon the lip-lock ended, leaving Madison craving more. Unfortunately for her, Nick stepped back to Koragg's side, smiling ruefully.

"_Uthe sastos_," he whispered and together the father and son disappeared into the ground.

After a moment of silence during which Maddie tried to pull herself together, she managed to stand up carefully. The circle still shimmered below her and she thought that it was better not to be repelled like Nick had been. Probing the edge gently with her wand's tip, she was shocked to see nothing happen. She pushed the device out further, followed shortly by a hand and then her whole arm. Soon her entire body was out of the circle with not so much as a shimmer, though the magical seal still shone brightly for another minute before dying away, no one to trap anymore.

It had to be Nick. He must've altered the circle so she could leave. Like Koragg had said, and demonstrated, it refused to let through good magic, and she was clearly a good witch. Only Nick could've, or would've, changed it so she could go free.

Knowing that he was still himself to at least some degree was comforting to her as she wandered mindlessly through the forest. To where she was heading, she had no idea; she just needed to keep moving. She had been terrified at first that Nick as a person had been lost in exchange for this evil version, but as he remembered who he was, she could see the old Nick flowing back into him. And then when he'd refused to forget her, she knew that he was still himself for the most part. There were still some things missing, most noticeably most of his inhibitions. Then again, something new was there - an unrestrained passion that glowed in his eyes like a new star, like it had been hidden and repressed until now. She kind of liked it.

Before she could realize it, her feet had taken her to his bike, sitting all alone under the tree in its usual spot. Having once been represented joy and freedom to her, it now looked so sad, representing more unwanted change and desolation in her eyes now. What would happen to it now that its attentive owner was no longer in this dimension?

As if listening to her thoughts, the keys materialized in her hand.

'_Keep her safe for me,'_ Nick whispered, his presence vanishing as soon as she realized he was there. How weird. She hadn't even felt him join her. What did that mean, though? Had their minds become so close that they were almost like one? Strange, but possible. Magic tore down the barriers of what was possible every day since they'd become Rangers.

Pocketing the keys without looking at them, she marched heedlessly across the street, flying down the stairs to the Rock Porium at such a speed that those in her way had precious seconds to escape her path. The door had been left ajar to accommodate the unnatural coolness they'd experienced that day and Maddie took advantage of this to storm in unnoticed.

Xander, having a keen ear for customers, appeared from behind a rack of DVDs.

"Hello and welcome to the Rock Porium. We're about to close up, but is there anything I -" He stopped, charm in his face dropping away as he realized who he was speaking to.

"Who is it?" Vida ribbed. "What? Cat got your tongue, oh Xander the Great?" She was on her knees loading a shipment of vinyls onto the lower half of a shelf and couldn't see her sister.

Xander could only stammer out a few indiscernible words as he looked over Madison. The girl herself was on the verge of losing the precious semblance of self-control she'd gathered.

"Okay, seriously," the Sprite said as she pushed herself up to give Xander a hard stare. For a moment, she only looked over the speechless Aussie before her eyes fell upon her twin. The girls exchanged a moment of Xander thought could've been telepathic thought. Suddenly, Maddie had broken down, tears flowing freely.

"He did it," she whispered. The despondency in her voice scared Vida. Like the overprotective sister she was, she had her arms wrapped around her sister before Xander could blink.

"He's gone," she wept. "He joined them, just like they wanted and it's my fault." Vida rubbed the girl's back, shushing her quietly.

"Don't say that. Everything will be okay. They can't keep him forever," she responded soothingly. "It'll be okay."

Maddie couldn't answer, tears flowing freely between choked sobs. She wasn't so sure that anything would be okay.

* * *

_A/N_ - Another chapter under my belt. I have to say, this one is my favorite so far for many reasons which I won't list here. And, finally, Nick is reclaimed by the darkness. Yes, it happened. You read it, you can't unread it! Seriously though, I'm glad to get this one up. I've been wanting to for almost a week, but I hit a hard case of writer's block mid-week. Sorry I couldn't fit Gracey into this chapter, but it just didn't work. I think I see an opening for her within the next couple of chaps, though.

In other news, this just surpassed 300 pages on paper. It's only seventy-four on WordPerfect, but that's almost three times the length of anything else I've written on my computer. And I know I keep saying that I'm getting close to writing the ending (at least in its on-paper, first draft form), but I keep getting ideas that push it farther away. This story just keeps ballooning. Not that it's a bad thing. Anyway, enough rambling. Onto the next chapter.


	12. Chapter Eleven

"So you live here? What a hell hole," Nick commented as he took in the dank cave walls that made up the Underworld.

"You live here as well. The darkness was banished here during the Great Battle," Koragg replied, demorphing.

"Yeah, I know. But can't you leave here whenever you want? Couldn't you just go live aboveground again?"

"The Master wishes that I remain here."

Nick rolled his eyes.

"Who the hell is this 'Master'? I hear all kinds of stuff about him, but we never see him or get an explanation of who he is. Come on."

"The Master is the true ruler of all of the Underworld and darkness," Koragg said, frowning at his son's insolence. "He was sealed in a world beyond ours by your predecessor years ago." The young man gave his father a wry smile.

"So you sealed him away? I'm not sure he appreciates that." Koragg arched his eyebrows.

"Do you not understand?" he asked gruffly, staring at his son. "The Red Mystic Warrior sealed him away."

"I don't think you understand," Nick snapped back, crimson eyes flashing darkly. "You were the Red Mystic Warrior before me. Or don't you remember?" The Knight Wolf shook his head in denial.

"Impossible. I have served the darkness my entire life. Your head has become filled with lies from the light." The boy held up his hands innocently, a large silver ring glinting in the dim light.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, man," he said nonchalantly. "Now where do I sleep in this dump?"

* * *

"I'm going on break, Toby," Madison shouted to her boss as she tossed her work shirt aside. Before he could respond, she was out the door, knowing exactly where she was heading.

Her cape fluttered in the sudden breeze as she entered the forest. In the week and a half Nick had been gone, she'd visited the forest countless times. She wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting, just that being here made her feel better. Today looked like it was going to be like every other day - nothing. That idea was shattered completely when something large and particularly rank dropped down in front of her, nearly knocking her down.

"Why so glum?" asked Phineas. "You look like something's wrong. You don't have worms, do ya, because they can be real buggers if -"

"No, Phineas, I don't have worms," Madison replied, glad to see the troblin even if her face didn't reveal it. "Actually, it's Nick." His face was immediately serious.

"What's wrong with Nick?" he asked, voice more intense than she'd ever heard it. She felt like she wasn't allowed to dance around the subject with him.

"Koragg's got him, and he used some spell to turn him." The troblin's eyes went wide.

"What? How?" he sputtered.

"Koragg captured me and said he'd kill me unless Nick submitted to his will."

"And ... ?" Maddie arched an eyebrow.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here, he's gone and now he's evil." As she said the words, the being before her visibly sank into a stupor.

"Oh no, no, no. This isn't happening, no it's not, it can't be. Not after almost twenty years, after no problems. This was supposed to stop this problem. Where'd I go wrong?" he asked, looking to his imaginary friend. "No, that couldn't be it ... " Madison gave him a strange look.

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her as if he'd just realized she was there, like she had just dropped in on him.

"I put Nick there with his family. Right nice people, too. Putting him there was supposed to protect him from this. I failed ... " he added despondently. For a moment he silently moped before his face lit up again. "I need to see Udonna now. She can form a telepathic bond with him and find him." He started to march off, but Maddie grabbed his arm.

"What do you mean? You can only form long-distance telepathic bonds with family." He gave her a look that said he thought was crazy.

"Didn't I tell you?" he asked. "She's his mother."

* * *

"What if she's not here?" Maddie asked hesitantly as the dragon's mouth opened, allowing the duo into Root Core.

"Then I'll wait," the troblin replied, following the young witch in. "This is really, really, really important."

"I can tell," she muttered. The past ten minutes had been weird. Phineas refused to say much about what was going on, only that Udonna was Nick's mother. That was impossible, though. Udonna would know if it was true, and she would've told him, right? Phineas was just off his rocker, not that it surprised her.

"Where is she?" he asked out loud, seeming more than a little anxious.

"I don't know. Udonna?" she called out, looking around the room. "Udonna?" It took only a moment for the mentor to appear from another room, closing a book as she smiled at the young witch.

"Yes, Madison?" she asked. Phineas was next to her before Madison could respond, beaming widely.

"Hey, Udonna. Long time no see, huh?" he said, pulling the stunned sorceress into a hug. This lasted for less than a minute before he let her go. She stood back and smiled.

"It has been too long, Phineas. I hear you've helped the Rangers several times," she replied, genuinely pleased to see him.

"Oh, it wasn't much," he said modestly. "Just doing what any other troblin would." She smiled and shook her head knowingly.

"So what brings you here? Not that it isn't good to see you again," she added.

"It's about Nick and Leanbow." The older woman's face lit up with surprise.

"What about them?"

Phineas, seeming to struggle with his words, finally said, "What do you remember about the Great Battle?" Her forehead scrunched up in confusion, but she still tried to answer.

"I remember fighting alongside the Mystics and our friends, losing Niella, Daggeron and Calindor, scrying to find a family for Nick and letting you take him to them." The troblin nodded.

"It worked then. You still believe that ... " He drifted off into his own thoughts. The two women could only stare at him as he tried to organize his words.

Behind them, the crystal ball lit up. Both women rushed to it, leaving Phineas with his thoughts.

"What is it?" Maddie asked, gazing into the ball. She hadn't quite mastered the divination technique required to see what the dark patterns meant, despite divination being the art of Blue Magicians, and losing Nick hadn't exactly helped with her concentration.

"There's dark magic downtown. _Dico Rangers_," the sorceress murmured absently into the sphere. The image shifted to the other three teens working. All of their phones rang that familiar tone and they were instantly huddled around Xander's open morpher.

"What is it, Udonna?" Maddie heard the young man ask. Their mentor just leaned closer to the crystal ball.

"Rangers, I've detected dark magic downtown. You must investigate immediately."

"We're on it," Xander responded, nodding to Vida and Chip on either side of him. The image faded away as Udonna stood up straight and turned to the younger witch.

"I'd like you to join them." Maddie started to protest, but her mentor stopped her. "Your team needs you. I know you are anxious to hear whatever it is Phineas has to say, but we will simply observe the battle until you return. Isn't that right, Phineas?" His head jerked up distractedly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah," he added hastily when he saw Udonna's stare.

"Well ... Okay," Maddie conceded. Hesitantly at first, she headed for the door. She was outside and ready to go through a tree when another idea hit her. It had worked for Nick, but magic obviously worked a little differently for him. She could at least try, though.

Clamping her eyes shut and focusing on her spell's intent, she whispered, "_Uthe sastos_."

For a moment, she felt nothing. When she opened her eyes, they told a different story. A bright golden circle was working slowly up her legs, edges flecked with sparks of blue and purple. As she let out a squeal of joy, the seal started moving faster, up to her shoulders within seconds.

Without a pause to let her acknowledge the weirdness that was existing ethereally, she felt herself reforming. Her eyes took in the scene around her in an instant; Vida was next to her, in a fighting stance like the guys, all standing opposite Necrolai and a strange-looking monster, even by their standards.

As her feet hit the ground, Maddie felt her twin jump.

"How'd you do that?" the brash young girl asked, eyes looking frantically over her sister. Chip and Xander both gave her questioning glances, and Necrolai seemed temporarily stunned.

"Just a little spell I learned from our Phoenix friend," she replied with a smile. Assuming a fighting stance too, she nodded to the enemies across from the quartet. "Shouldn't we be fighting them?" This seemed to snap everyone back to the current situation.

"Just drop the map and go way. You won't even need to fight us," Xander reasoned, stepping forward. The rest of the Rangers collectively groaned. They'd all assumed he'd given up on Plan Xander after every time it failed and he got attacked as a reward.

"The secret of the Fire Heart is mine," Necrolai sneered. "Attack them, my minion!" Following the order, the taxicab monster next to her charged the four teens, who jumped into battle without hesitation.

The creature sent a furious punch in Vida's direction, but she landed a solid kick to its chest, sending it stumbling back. This left a small opening for Xander to give it a hard roundhouse kick to the face. As it lurched dazedly, Chip and Madison caught it and, each taking a shoulder, flipped it onto its back.

It took only a moment to recover, up again in a flash, sweeping Madison and Chip's legs out from underneath them. Both crashed hard onto the ground, and pulled Xander and Vida to them. While the Yellow and Blue Magicians pushed themselves up, catching the wind that had been knocked out of them, the Pink and Green Magicians delivered powerful blows to the monster. Vida sent an overly destructive punch, reinforced by highly compacted air, at its head, but it quickly shifted into a real taxi. The attack instead simply shattered every window in the vehicle to millions of tiny shards of glass.

At the same time, Xander transmuted his wand into an axe, intending to bury it within the creature's body, but was caught off guard by its sudden change into a taxi. It still sliced through the metal and fiberglass like they were tissue paper, but it didn't have the same effect as he'd intended. The shower of glass that sprayed his face prevented him from removed his weapon from the trunk hatch of the car, which peeled out across the concrete of the parking garage. Madison and Chip had recovered themselves by now, standing next to their friends

"Very good, Rangers, but I still have the map," cackled the vampiress.

"Not for long," Maddie shot back, leaving her friends, who still fought the monster with ease. She ran toward the villainess, wand open, and shouted, "_Acci map_!" The map trembled in Necrolai's hand, but she maintained a firm grip. Madison determinedly shouted the spell again and this time the parchment tore out of her enemy's hand's and landed in her own.

"Stupid witch!" Necrolai spat angrily, eyes full of hatred. Without true magic of her own, she couldn't take back what had been hers. Even fighting these teenagers seemed like a bad idea now. The blue one was obviously in the mood to destroy any darkness she met without hesitation and therefore the pink one was too, if only by a sisterly extension. The green and yellow didn't seem to have the same bloodlust as the girls, but she could see that they would fight if the blue ordered them to. The best option in the vampire queen's eyes was to retreat to the Underworld and face Morticon's wrath.

"Minion, come! We shall deal with this later!" she shouted to her creature. It stumbled weakly away from the Rangers to stand next to its mistress. An angry scowl adorned to vampiress' face. "Goodbye, Rangers. We shall meet again." The two disappeared into a seal, leaving the four teens alone in the parking garage. Chip, Vida and Xander all rushed over to Madison.

"That was awesome!" Chip said excitedly, switching back to his civilian clothes like the others.

"Thanks," Maddie answered, distracted by the map in her hands.

"Where'd you learn that spell? I didn't think we'd studied summoning spells yet," Vida said. The question seemed to draw Maddie's attention away from the map. Where had she learned that spell? Vida was right; they hadn't learned summoning spells yet. So where had that one come from?

"I'm not sure," she replied slowly, trying to pick her own brain for the answer. It had all flashed by so quickly in the heat of the moment. The words had just appeared in her mind, but there was something else ... The words hadn't been in her own voice. They had come in Nick's, a faint whisper of his presence.

"It was Nick," she choked out.

* * *

"Long time, no see," giggled a voice from the archway entrance to Nick's room. He turned confusedly to the voice which he recognized so well.

"Leelee?" he asked incredulously. The blonde nodded perkily, curls bouncing around her pale shoulders. "How'd you get down here?"

She smirked at him. "Oh, get with the program. I live down here."

"Wait, what?" he asked, mind reeling with how it was even possible. Leelee wasn't evil. She was just an annoying customer at the Rock Porium who didn't know anything more about the darkness than your average citizen. There was no way she lived down here. "How is that even possible?"

"You're a wizard and you want to ask how that's possible?" she snarked. "It's a big duh, anyway. Necrolai's my mom." The way she said it, it was like it was the most obvious thing in the universe. Nick could only give her a dumbfounded stare as he tried to figure out how a vampire could have a human daughter. "And I'm a vampire princess," she added, a haughty undertone to her voice.

"So let me get this straight - you live here and you're a vampire princess." She nodded jauntily. "That's just weird." She rolled her eyes, sauntering into his room.

"Says the wizard Power Ranger. And I could say the same thing about seeing you down here. I don't usually come down here - I'm supposed to stay aboveground and watch you guys, you know - but Mom called me down here. She said there was a surprise, and here you are. So why are you here?"

"Koragg's my father, in case you didn't know, and he finally managed to turn me." She perked up.

"Really? You finally joined us?"

"Yeah," he answered simply, flopping into a large leather chair. He'd modeled his room in the Underworld much like his own at Gracey's, save for a few more ornate, expensive additions. One thing he couldn't replace was his bike, which he missed terribly. There wasn't a lot of room to ride underground, and absolutely no wind to whip across him. He hoped Maddie was taking good care of it.

"So anyway, did you just come to see me, or is there some sort of ulterior motive to this visit?" he asked as his guest took a seat on his dark oak bed, scarlet sheets creasing beneath her light weight.

"A little bit of both," she admitted. "I do have this plan to use against your friends, but I really wanted to see you. You have no idea how weird it can be being the only teenage human down here." Nick nodded knowingly.

"Kind of like being the only member of your family that can spontaneously start fires and send cousins to the emergency room? I get it. It has to be weird growing up around all these freaks."

"To them, I'm the freak," she replied with a wicked smile. "Most vampires have a human and vampire form, but what you see is what you get with me. Comes from my stupid human dad."

"Watch it," Nick threatened jokingly. "Some of us around here are full humans." She giggled and he returned it with a smile. "So where's your dad now?" Her cheerful smile faded a bit.

"Mom turned him into a worm. I haven't met him. Ever," she added, a strange sadness in her voice. "I don't even know who he was. I shouldn't care - it's not like I knew him or anything - but I feel like things would've been different if I'd known him, you know?" She wasn't quite sure if he was getting it, but he nodded.

"I never really tried to find my birth parents - would've been impossible anyway - but I'd always kind of wondered what life with them would've been like," he answered, adding with a rueful smile, "I guess I'm getting to find out."

"You act like you don't want to be here." Giving her a funny look, he shook his head. She wasn't usually so serious and it was kind of weird.

"A part of me doesn't want to be here. My father may have brought out my true darkness, but who I was didn't just magically disappear. I may have lost most of my morality, but I still have my honor and love. I know pure evil can't love, and that gives part of me hope. That part wants to be saved from this, but the other part likes it. I'm just a little conflicted right now."

"I can see that."

They sat in a comfortable silence after that, both of their minds pondering other subjects. A persistent thought pervaded Nick's mind and when he couldn't ignore it any longer, he asked, "So what's this plan of yours?" Leelee stared at him for a second, figuring out what he meant, and her eyes lit up when it clicked.

"Oh, my plan! Well," she giggled, smiling conspiratorially, "it involves your little Ranger friends joining our side with the help of a certain flytrap ... " Her words faded out as Koragg's voice overtook his mind.

'_The Master wishes to see you both in the Pit.'_

'_Well, hello to you too,'_ was Nick's curt reply. He could feel his father roll his eyes.

'_Just be there,'_ he commanded, disappearing from Nick's mind as quickly as he'd entered.

Leelee noticed how he'd tensed up and prodded his shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked. This seemed to jar him, as he looked up at her.

"The Master wants to see us, and now, apparently," he replied, irritated that Koragg couldn't come get them in person. "Come on. Let's go." He stood up and left his room, a confused vampire princess in tow.

* * *

Maddie tried to suppress all the emotions Nick evoked as she murmured again, "It was Nick. The spell came from him." She could feel her friends' jaws drop, both physically and metaphorically.

"You mean he spoke to you?"

"Why would he help us?"

"Telepathy is so cool."

"Do you think this means he's back on our side?"

"Guys, guys," Maddie said, holding up her hands to halt the deluge. "It wasn't like that. He didn't actually talk to me. It was more like ... Kind of like a thought from his mind drifted to mine. Believe me, it was weird." Weirder than she'd let on. Sometimes she caught herself thinking things that she'd never have thought before all of this. At first she'd just assumed that it was her mind going a little crazy with the guilt. After the tenth time in a single day, she'd begun to wonder what was really behind these strange, sinister thoughts. With a week and a half pondering the origin of these thoughts and the seamless blend of Nick's mind and hers when he'd given her his bike, she'd finally realized that their connection had become so strong that thoughts drifted between them like sands between two ends of an hourglass.

"So one of his thoughts just floated over to you, and it happened to be the perfect spell for the situation?"

Madison ignored her sister's disbelieving glare and nodded. "I know you guys know about his past and all, but that doesn't mean you know everything. You don't know how his magic works, do you?"

"Why wouldn't it work just like ours?"

"For people like him, magic is a bit different. We've learned all about light and dark magic, but his doesn't use either of those. It's this rare magic called balanced magic. He has it because he has evil blood, but he was raised to be good."

"So why don't they call it neutral magic?"

"Because it's good and evil, just like him. It uses light and dark spells and balances the strengths of each, making it really powerful. It's usually more than a little chaotic, not to mention really rare. It occurs in people of exceptional magical talent who also possess a duality of nature. It can manifest at any time, but only truly appears when the user has explored both halves of their duality."

"And how'd you know all that?" Vida asked, secretly impressed by the knowledge her sister had just imparted.

Maddie blushed, sheepishly replying, "I did some research after I found out. It's really interesting. Balanced magic users have this special ability, if you want to call it that, to almost always know the spell they need when they need it. It's kind of like an ancestral knowledge thing - you know the spells that your ancestors knew. Anyway, that's how the spell came to me. It was his mind subconsciously reacting to my need for a summoning spell."

"So he'll never need to study spells again?"

"Not exactly. There have been times when this ability has failed at crucial times. It's not always that reliable. I don't think he knows every spell, either. He can only know them if his ancestors knew them." She looked around at her friends, all soaking up the knowledge. "Anyway, I need to get back to Root Core. Something ... interesting is waiting for me."

"Do you need us to come?" Vida asked, looking at her sister worriedly. Everything about her situation with Nick made Vida nervous, like he could jump out and kidnap her at any time.

"No, I'm okay," Maddie replied with a shake of her head. "Just tell Toby I can't finish my shift and punch me out."

"Well ... Fine," Vida conceded hesitantly. "But try to be safe, okay? Things are flying out of control around us, and I'm pretty sure you're stuck in the dead center of it all."

"I'll be fine. I'm a big girl, V."

"I know. I just worry about you."

"I know you do, and you can overdo it sometimes. I've got to spread my wings sometime." Before she realized it, her twin had wrapped her arms and her in an intense hug. She leaned into it, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'll be fine, sis. You can trust that. I can defend myself now." Her voice was muffled slightly by the tightness of the hug and her twin's rippling cape. Vida suddenly stepped back, embarrassed by her sudden show of emotion, and nodded to the girl across from her.

"Go on. You've got bigger fish to fry than a weepy twin."

Smiling at the easy way Vida could read the whole situation, Madison closed her eyes and quietly whispered, "_Uthe sastos_." Her smile grew as she saw her friends' awestruck faces gaping at her display of magic.

In an instant, she could see nothing, and then she was in Root Core, a startled Udonna just feet from her.

"Why, child!" she gasped, looking over her young charge. "I didn't realize you'd studied teleportation magic quite yet." The young witch smiled sheepishly.

"Actually, I haven't. I kind of learned it from Nick. One of his 'heat of the moment' spells, you know? I just thought I'd try it."

"I see," the mentor responded. There was an odd gleam in her eyes - was it pride? Knowing? Or was she just reading into it too much?

"Is she back yet?" a voice yelled from another room. "That sounds like her."

Udonna turned to look at the hallway the voice was emanating from, calling back, "Yes, it's her." Phineas emerged from the hall and, from the look of it, he'd spent the entire time she was gone in nervous thought. It was one look she'd never imagined seeing on his face.

"Now, what is it you must tell me?" Udonna asked, a playful smile on her lips. She seemed to be taking this less than seriously.

Phineas shook his head stiffly. "It's not what I have to tell you, it's what you need to remember." He turned to look at Madison. "My magic ain't the greatest nowadays. Would you mind pointing your wand at her and saying 'Restituo memoract'?" The young witch looked apprehensively to her mentor.

"You may," Udonna answered, realizing the intent of the spell and intrigued by the effect it could have.

"Okay ... _Restituo memoract_," she stammered. Though she saw no immediate physical effects, she could see the change in Udonna. Her eyes seemed to be focused on something beyond any of them and her entire body slackened a bit, visibly drooping.

"What'd I do to her?" Maddie whispered, leaning over toward Phineas. He too leaned in, coming uncomfortably close to her face.

"A simple memory restoring spell. Fixes any lost or altered memories." Maddie furrowed her brow in confusion, but a short gasp from Udonna cut off any thoughts.

"Oh, dear," she whispered. "Bowen, Leanbow, Daggeron ... " She turned to Phineas. "What did you do to me?" A faint anger burned in her eyes, one Maddie had seen in Nick's gorgeous green eyes several times before. The ones that were eerily like Udonna's own green orbs, now that she thought about it. No way ...

Phineas interrupted that thought, hesitantly beginning his explanation, and trying to clear up the situation for Madison.

"Almost twenty years ago, during the Great Battle, you trusted Daggeron with your only child, Bowen. You wanted him to find a safe spot to hide with your child while you went out to search for Leanbow. Of course, he was gone, trapped behind the Gates pushing back the last of the Hidiacs as Niella died closing the Gates, but you still wanted to find him. Daggeron was betrayed by Calindor and he had to put Bowen somewhere safe while they fought. The thing is, they both disappeared. I had to watch the whole thing and I knew that Bowen needed to be somewhere safe, so I found him this great family in the human world and left him there."

"And why could you not leave him with his own mother?"

"I knew you'd be grieving for Leanbow and Niella and that would make you want to keep him even more, even though it was way too dangerous for him to stay. He had to go to the human world because that was the only safe place."

"And why did you find it necessary to alter my memory?"

"If you found out that I took away your baby, you'd have torn me to pieces to find him and died of grief. Little Clare still needed a family and I couldn't erase your memory, so I just changed a few things."

"And why now of all times to reverse the spell?" His head drooped a bit, defeat evident in his posture and words.

"Because I failed. The darkness has Nick. I know she probably knows that already," he amended to his invisible friend. "I just thought that you needed to know in case anything, you know ... happens to us." There was such a fear in his voice that it shocked Madison out of her thoughts. Was he really afraid if dying? Did he truly believe that Nick would kill them?

Udonna seemed to pay no mind to his fear, though, either out of the belief that it was misplaced or because she was too blinded by anger. Maddie was betting on the former, but the latter wouldn't be a huge stretch.

"So you planted this story in my mind so I'd remember my only child and husband as the child of another woman and a family friend? Oh, Bowen, Leanbow ... " she said, letting the words and the emotions packed behind them drift away. The trio stood in silence for a moment as Udonna tried sorting out everything she was feeling, Maddie tried to come to grips with the fact that not only was Udonna Nick's true mother, but she had married Koragg and Phineas was silently hoping that nineteen-ish years were enough to soften Udonna's impending wrath. She suddenly moved toward him, garnering a flinch from the troblin. Instead of harming him like he believed, her arms wrapped around him in a strong embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered. As she pulled back, Maddie could see tears glittering in the corners of her eyes. "You've given me a family again. I may not be happy with your actions, but the past cannot be changed and I know you truly acted with the best intentions for Bowen ... Nick." She amended her words, knowing that she could no longer call her child by his birth name, but with the name he was accustomed to. Turning to Maddie, a smile played on her lips despite the tears. "And you, Madison, you are apart of this family, too." The girl made no effort to hide her dismay and confusion.

"Me? How? I was born in Briarwood," she stammered, praying to any omnipotent being that would listen that she and Nick weren't related somehow. That would absolutely suck and be more than a little creepy, given the intensity behind their kisses.

"You are in love with my son, child. That makes you family." She pulled the young girl into a hug, adding, "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Maddie couldn't help but smile as the pulled apart. Not only was it a relief to know that she wasn't related to Nick in any way, but she had Udonna's blessing. It wouldn't have stopped their relationship, but it was good to know that your boyfriend's family liked you.

"So if Nick is your son," she began as the happiness started to wear off, "then isn't Koragg your..."

"My husband? Yes, he is. I fell in love with him when I was around your age, when he was known as Leanbow. He had lived with my family for many years, training as a Knight, but he wasn't one to blindly obey orders or stay still for too long. He loved to explore. I fell in love with the freedom and adventure he seemed to live with every day.

"After several years we married and life was good for a while. War was brewing around us, but we were happy. Only a month before the Great War started, I found out I was pregnant. That of course meant that I couldn't fight, so I used the time to study ancient prophesies and heal the wounded on the battlefield. I actually gave birth during a battle on dark soil. When I was supposed to be healing others, they were healing me," she added with a wry smile. "From then on, I was regulated to staying home with my child. All was well until I began to hear stories of Leanbow disappearing for days on end and then returning acting strangely. One morning I awoke to find Bowen gone and that Leanbow had disappeared again." She paused now, mentally sifting through the conflicting memories of what happened. The false memories of her past still remained despite the fact that she remembered the truth, and it was difficult to separate the truth from the lies. After another moment's thought, she finally found the thread of truth again.

"Rumors began to float around of Leanbow's return to the darkness and of his marriage to the infamous sorceress Akaia, all done under another name."

"Koragg?" Maddie interjected.

"Yes, Koragg," replied Udonna with a nod. "Koragg is his dark name, the one he was given at birth. He himself journeyed for his true name sometime after he defected to the light with the intentions of not only increasing his ability to fight his roots, but to distance himself from his old name and life. It took a toll on all of us, for he could very well die in the process. As you know, he very obviously returned safely, though not unscathed, with the name Leanbow."

"And Nickolaus was Bowen's true name, right?"

"Yes, it is," Udonna replied with a smile. "As I was saying, though, when I heard these rumors, I immediately left to find my family. The search took weeks, but I finally found them tucked away in a cabin in the hills. Leanbow was under a memory alteration spell, much like the one I was under. As you already know, I broke the spell after many attempts and dueled Akaia when she found out, which ended with her taking her own life rather than dying with dishonor at my hand.

"We returned home, but Leanbow couldn't escape the guilt he carried from the terrible things he did under Akaia's influence. In the Great Battle, he chose to fight alongside the rest of us once more as the Red Mystic Warrior, leading not only the Mystics, Daggeron, Calindor, Niella and myself, but the entire army of light. He sent Daggeron away with Bowen for protection, to be raised in a safe, hidden location until it was safe for him to be in the open again. As Phineas has told us, Calindor betrayed Daggeron and they both disappeared, leaving our troblin friend to take Bowen to the safest place he knew: the human world.

"The other Mystic Warriors fought to the end, dying as heroes, but Leanbow was not satisfied with simply defeating the enemy. He used his magic to force the Hidiacs to the Underworld while Niella held open the Gates, and then he followed them in to prevent any of them from escaping. Niella died closing the Gates and, in that single moment, I lost so much more of my family than I could've imagined." Her eyes welled up with tears again as she remembered the truth bit by bit. "Only Clare remained. I gathered all that was left of the Mystics, the wands that you all now possess, and headed back to a safe haven I had begun to build after war broke out."

"Root Core, right?" Maddie asked, looking around. The building seemed ancient, not less than twenty years old as Udonna claimed. She guessed that it was simply the magic everywhere giving it a more powerful look and feel than it would've had naturally.

"Yes. I finished building it alone, only little Clare and Phineas by my side. By this time, I had obviously been spelled by the troblin, but it was for the best, I know. I'm not sure if I could've gone on without my child, husband, sister or friends, but the spell eased some of the grief. I knew Clare would be safe with me, for the darkness knew nothing of her Gatekeeper powers. Bowen, on the other hand, was well-known by our enemies, having displayed early signs of great magical power as an infant. Oh, how I wish I could've raised him," she said wistfully. "He would've been a marvelous student and a feisty child. Alas, that's where everything of interest ends. After all that, I settled into Root Core, taught and raised Clare and awaited the prophesied day that the darkness would rise again and five legendary warriors would rise up against it." She turned to look at Phineas. "Have I missed anything?"

"I don't think so. I know Calindor was all pumped up by dark magic near the end, but Daggie fought back and they both disappeared in a shower of sparkly things that were really pretty." He gazed up at the ceiling dazedly, as if seeing the light show again. Udonna shook her head good-naturedly, inwardly amazed by the past few months.

"So much has changed," she said aloud, not really talking to anyone but herself. "My family is complete again. Except for Niella ... But that cannot be changed. She is gone and we forge ahead." Maddie smiled as the elder woman rambled quietly to herself, glancing down at her hands. There was something clutched in one, she realized and, after a moment's thought, the other events of the day came rushing back to her.

"Hey, Udonna, do you know what this is?" she asked suddenly, proffering the parchment. The sorceress took it and after quickly scanning over it, she inhaled sharply.

"Oh my."

* * *

"You rang?" Nick asked cheekily, walking into the main chamber of the Underworld next to Leelee. Morticon gave him a look of utter disdain, despite his lack of facial features he could apply such a look to. Necrolai stood to the left of Morticon's throne, looking incredibly angry. Nick could tell that his father was smirking as the vampire queen's unhappiness even through the helmet.

"The Master wishes for both of you to prove your worth as dark warriors," Morticon boomed. "Unfortunately, this hag has interrupted our plans with her foolishness."

"I told you," the vampiress spat, "the Blue Witch used powerful magic on me." Nick arched an eyebrow.

"The Blue Witch, huh?" he said, a sly smile creeping across his face. "No problem then." He closed his eyes and focused on Madison. When he opened them again, all he could see was the inside of Root Core. Waiting for a moment to make sure she hadn't realized he was there, he glanced around. The object he sought was lying on the central table with Udonna hovering over it. She suddenly turned to look at Madison, a questioning look gracing her face.

"Madison, are you okay?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah. I'm just feeling a little strange," he heard the young woman answer. Her voice alone sent him reeling, a beam of light in the darkness that was consuming him. All he could think about now was seeing her again, locking lips with her and never stopping. They could be happy, just the two of them and no one else, and they could travel the world and answer to no one ... No, no thinking about that. The sooner he was out of here, the better. He took one last look at the map before making the hasty retreat from her mind.

His vision snapped back to the Underworld, mind swirling with images of the map, Madison and her sweet voice and new spells. Pushing thoughts of Maddie as far away as he could, he latched onto a new spell, pointing his wand at his forehead and muttering, "_Mens eruo_." He tried to pull the wand away, but it resisted. A fine red light had emerged from his wand point and enveloped something that didn't want to come out. Giving the wand one hard pull, he lurched back as his wand was suddenly released. A sheet of parchment fluttered to the cold stone floor, red light arcing gently over the surface and dispersing.

"What is this?" Morticon asked, voice more inquiring than harsh now.

"It's what you're looking for," Nick answered, picking it up off the floor. "An exact replica of the map to the Fire Heart's secrets." The zombie nodded approvingly, looking it over.

"You have done well, human. Now you and the girl shall go to the surface and retrieve it before the Rangers do."

"If the Master wishes it," Nick responded. He didn't like taking orders from either being, but the Master won out over the pumphead's orders. The center pool lit up in response, garnering bows from all in the room. "So be it. Come on, Leelee. We've got work to do. _Uthe sastos_." With a flick of his hand, the pair of humans disappeared into a circle of light.

* * *

"Are you sure you're feeling okay, Madison?" Udonna asked her young student, turning away from the map momentarily. For a second, something about the girl had seemed off.

"Yeah. I'm actually feeling better now. Just a passing thing, I guess," replied the young witch. "So what is this exactly?" She leaned over the map next to her mentor.

"It is the map to the Fire Heart," Udonna answered, voice full of reverence.

"What's the Fire Heart?" Maddie asked, examining the map more closely. She couldn't see what the big deal was.

"No one is quite sure, but it is known that it's an invaluable magical treasure. Many have sought it fruitlessly over the years. This map, though, is truly an amazing find on it's own."

"So let's find the others and get this thing," said Maddie, taking charge. Udonna shook her head.

"It will not be that easy. The map directs you to the Cimmerian Forest, one of the most dangerous places within our dimension. It is too powerful to be claimed by any kingdom."

"The map should lead us through safely, shouldn't it?"

"True, but the forest may have changed since then. There may be dangers in the forest that are not on the map. The forest itself interrupts the regular flow of magic, twisting it in unforgiving ways. You will not be able to use your own in there."

"I'll still go. We need to get this thing before the darkness figures out how to." She wasn't going to back down from finding this thing, even if she had to do it alone.

"So be it. You must be warned, though, that the Cimmerian Forest is more dangerous than anything you have ever faced, and there is no guarantee that you will make it out alive. Are you still willing?"

"Of course."

Udonna nodded, adding, "I'll summon the others, then." Maddie sat down quietly as Udonna did so, pondering everything. When had her life become so crazy? That one she knew the answer to: it had been nearly three months ago, just days before her junior prom, when Nick had shown up in town, the day there'd been an earthquake and they'd become Rangers. After that day, her life had been interesting, to say the least. She had a boyfriend, magical powers, Ranger powers and fought evil on a near daily basis every few weeks. It had been a crazy summer so far.

Twenty minutes later when the others finally arrived, she was still thinking about how insane all of their lives had become. The trio's arrival jarred her thoughts, bringing her back reality in time to hear Xander talking to Udonna.

"So what is it?" he asked. "It sounded important."

"Yes, it is," Udonna answered. "Madison will be venturing to the Cimmerian Forest to retrieve an artifact of great power. You three must decide if you wish to go with her."

"Why wouldn't we?" Xander asked with a smile. "We like forests." Chip and Vida smiled too, nodding.

"This is nothing to smile about, Rangers. You will face untold danger. It is very possible that you could die." Xander's smile visibly fell. "Will you still go?"

"I will," Vida said determinedly. She wasn't about to let her sister go on a dangerous mission alone.

"Me too," Xander added.

"No question," Chip responded.

"Then you must go quickly. There is no doubt that the darkness will be searching for a way to find it, too."

"How we do get there? From the looks of it, it's pretty far from here," Maddie said, standing up with the map in her hands.

"You may be able to travel through the trees, though that may not end well with Cimmerian trees. They have been known to trap travelers. Of course, teleporting is another, safer option."

"But I'm the only one who can teleport, right?" Maddie asked. "And I can't move anyone besides me. I mean, Nick can, but he's a whole other case. I can't teleport all four of us." Udonna smiled.

"I believe you can. If you can master self-teleportation so easily, then group teleportation should not be hard. All you need to do is focus on the new spell and moving the others along with yourself." The young witch still looked unsure of herself.

"I don't know ... "she murmured, eyes cast at the floor.

"You can do it. Just try," the mentor encouraged. Madison gave her one last reluctant look and turned to her friends.

"Are you guys okay with this?" she asked, not knowing whether or not they were comfortable with an inexperienced witch teleporting them to who knows where.

"We trust you, Maddie," Vida answered without hesitation. Xander and Chip nodded in agreement with the Sprite. Maddie let out a deep sigh and stepped forward, taking their hands and forming a circle.

"Here goes," she whispered, eyes shut tight in concentration. As the spell floated to the top of her mind, she grabbed the words and focused on their intent and her own.

"_Uthe sastos ozarro_," she said softly, heavy magical undertones in her voice. The four Rangers were gone in an instant, bodies swallowed by a rapid spell seal. Udonna could only pray as she watched them vanish that she would see them alive again.

* * *

_A/N_ - Wow. Finally got this one done. I thought I'd never get this one banged out. On the plus side, it is fairly long. Well, at least a little longer than the usual chapter. It's a chapter, though, so be happy. I'm hoping Leelee wasn't too out of character in her scene with Nick, but I wanted to get out some of that more serious side of her that we rarely see. Speaking of that, I loved Heir Apparent I. I was amazed at how closely I got the events of the Great Battle and just overall astounded by how awesome the episode was. I've watched it countless times since it aired, and I'm still awestruck by its greatness. The scenes in the Underworld near the end were particularly nice, not to mention Leelee's concern for the Rangers, Leanbow, Udonna's "Help me or get out of my way" to Clare and the sword fight between Nick and Daggeron. Absolutely brilliant.

Enough rambling, though. Onto the next chapter.


	13. Chapter Twelve

"Are we there yet?" Leelee asked again, twirling a curl between her fingers. Nick chose not to answer this time, having already given every answer he could think of. All the answers that were left were words that he wasn't quite sure she'd appreciate. He instead pressed on, checking the map in his hands from time to time.

Leelee looked over the Ranger as they walked. Ever since she'd seen him nearly three months ago, she'd wanted him to like her. What wasn't there to like about him? The dark hair, the tan, the whole rebel thing, it was all so sexy. Especially his eyes, those perfect green eyes. They'd been tainted by dark magic, or course, though the crimson had faded to mere flecks on a dark green background. That didn't take away from how perfect he'd seemed. He had more of an edge than Chip or Xander or any other human she'd met. And that body, oh, that body... Even under his intricately designed black vest and dark scarlet shirt, she could almost make out a well-defined six-pack.

Lost in thought, the vampire princess was abruptly jerked back to reality when she bumped into Nick's outstretched arm.

"I think this is it," he said.

"What is it?" she asked back, looking around. She didn't see anything special around them, and it didn't look like they'd made it out of the forest yet.

"It's a line on the map. I think we're there," he answered without looking up. He knew she hadn't been listening for the past few minutes and really didn't care to know why. It was better to just explain it as quickly as possible, find this thing and get away from her for a while. As much as he appreciated some human company of his own age, she was really starting to grate on him.

"And just what is so special about this line?" she demanded, seemingly completely bored with the whole quest.

"Only the words 'Danger and fear shall ye know as you face your greatest woe'." She rolled her eyes.

"Sounds stupid. Come on." Taking a few steps forward, she turned back to prove her point, but Nick wasn't there.

* * *

Nick couldn't help but sigh as Leelee vanished a few feet from him.

"Great, just great. She has to go and magically disappear, and I'm the one who has to find her," he muttered wearily to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to relieve the stress she was currently causing him. A small voice told him that he should just go on without her, but his honor told him that he couldn't leave an ally behind, no matter how irritating she had become. Honor was one trait that he'd kept despite his turn to darkness and his father felt the need to reinforce it every time they sparred.

He took a begrudging step forward to where Leelee had disappeared. A ripple of magic washed over him as he glanced around. No Leelee, just - His breath caught in his throat. Madison lay before him, eyes full of fear.

"Please don't hurt me again," she whimpered.

* * *

A bright spell seal lit up on the forest floor, spewing an unsteady quartet of teenagers quite unceremoniously. Only Maddie managed to land without stumbling.

"Are you guys all right?" she asked, noticing her friends' adverse reactions.

"Woah," Vida remarked absently, leaning on the nearest tree to regain her balance. Xander and Chip mumbled similar responses, both seeming as unsettled by the method of travel as Vida.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Maddie questioned worriedly. Vida shook her head.

"It's not that it was bad, sis. It was just ... different."

"Weird is more like it," Xander added. "How'd you get used to that?"

"Well, Nick helped me out a time or two, and he never did it for more than just me and him." She looked between her guy friends and her sister with a sheepish smile. "I guess I never really felt the full effect like you guys. Sorry." They all gave her short nods of pardon and she patiently waited for them to regain their equilibrium. After several minutes and more than a few comments from Chip about how he wanted to learn how to teleport, they were finally ready to set off toward their goal, a small dot on the map incredibly far from where they seemed to be.

They walked for nearly half an hour before Maddie glanced at the map and found that they'd just crossed a line drawn across the forest, accompanied by a rhyme.

"'Danger and fear shall ye know as you face your greatest woe'," she read aloud, stopping to show her friends. "What do you think that me- Guys?" She looked up, very suddenly noticing the lack of people around her. "Guys?" Absolutely nothing. They'd just disappeared. Her glance shifted back to the map, intent on rereading the rhyme, but something else entirely caught her eyes before they could reach the sheet of parchment.

Her friends and family stood before her, all wearing superior smirks. Even Nick stood amongst them, giving her the same smirk. Her heart leapt as she saw him and she nearly jumped into his arms gleefully, but he pushed her away disgustedly.

"I can't believe how pitiful you are, jumping at me like that," he sneered. "I don't know what I ever saw in you."

"You're no sister of mine," Vida added spitefully. "No sister of mine could be so weak."

"I can't believe we were even friends with her. Why would we even want to know someone as pathetic as she is?"

"She can rot away for all I care. I only pretended to be friends with her to mess with her."

"She's not fit to have friends. No one that shy should even be talked to."

"I'd choose the darkness over her any day. Evil is just so much more satisfying, and I get to see her sad attempts to find me. You make me laugh," Nick said, snorting derisively at her.

"Guys, why are you ... " she feebly tried to protest, but her words died out as their continuing jeers began to soak in. A choked cry escaped her throat as she stared at them hopelessly, condescending smirks plastered across their faces. Her thoughts were pervaded by the hateful words spewing from their mouths until they were all she could hear. Chip, Xander, even Nick and Vida, all beating her down mercilessly. What had gotten into them? Why would they say such hurtful things? She had always thought they'd liked her, Vida and Nick especially. Vida had always been so fiercely protective, and Nick had been so passionate, so loving. Why were they saying those painful things?

Finally, as the verbal abuse became too much, paired with the repressed stress she'd been under since Nick was turned, she sank to the ground and sobbed.

* * *

Vida found herself abruptly alone. Only seconds ago, Maddie had stood just inches from her. Now they were all gone. When she tried twisting her body around to look for them, she couldn't move much aside from her head. A quick glance downward revealed that both her hands and her feet were chained to the ground by tarnished steel chains. Where had those come from? She scanned the area for anyone who could've chained her down almost instantly like that, and her eyes fell on a frightening sight.

Not ten feet from her, her friends and sister lay limp, chained down much like she was. Bruises were spattered across their bodies along with the occasional spot of a crusty crimson something that Vida could only assume was blood. Their usual uniforms were torn unevenly and stained by dirt and blood.

For a moment, she feared that they were all dead, but hope ignited in her as Maddie shifted her arm weakly.

"Sis!" the Pink Ranger called out desperately. The girl seemed to respond to her sister's voice, rolling her head toward the elder girl slowly. Her eyes fluttered open, shocking Vida. They were so broken, so full of despair, it made her want to cry.

"Help me," Madison rasped, voice lacking any hope or emotion. Vida struggled fiercely against the chains that tethered her to the ground, bu they refused to budge. "Please help me," her sister pleaded feebly again as Vida gave one last ferocious pull against the chains before sinking to her knees in despair. A beam of light entered her mind in the thought of using her wand, but even that dissipated as she turned to her hip and found the device gone. With no other ideas that seemed even remotely possible, Vida could only look back to her twin and let the silent tears coat her cheeks.

* * *

"Ha ha, very funny, guys. You can come out now," Xander said humorlessly, looking around. Madison, Chip and Vida were nowhere to be found, even though they'd been -

He rolled his eyes as he found their hiding spot, if you could even call it that. They were standing out in the open about twenty feet from him. He jogged up to the group, noticing that Nick had joined them.

"When'd you get here, mate?" he asked their leader, setting a hand on his shoulder. None of them answered, simply turning toward him in unison.

"Uh, guys?" the Green Ranger asked nervously, unnerved by his friends' odd behaviour. "What's going on?"

"Why should we tell you?" Vida said, voice colder than dry ice.

"Yeah, you're not our friend," Chip added with a malicious glare. "You don't even have any friends."

"No one likes you. They never have."

"Even your parents left you here to rot."

"Face it. No one likes you, and no one ever will," Nick scoffed, eyes full of hate.

"Guys, what's wrong with you?" Xander stammered faintly.

"Nothing is wrong with us," Madison spat. "It's you that has the problem."

"Nobody likes you, but it's not like you can take a hint. You're too busy thinking you're hot shit."

"Guys, how could you... Why would you..." His words died away even as he tried vocalizing them, harsh glares from his so-called friends silencing him.

"We don't like you, Xander. Never have. Why don't you just leave? Not that anyone will like you anywhere else." The Green Ranger openly gaped at the quartet, ability to speak lost to the flurry of cutting words. Sinking to the ground despondently, he didn't even notice as all of the vegetation around him shriveled and died.

* * *

Chip stopped being distracted by every thought that rushed through his mind long enough to realize that he was alone. Everyone else seemed to have vanished. He did a quick 360 to check the area and when he'd gone completely around, his eyes were met with a terrifying sight.

Seven charred bodies lay stiff before him. He recognized three instantly with a simultaneous sickening lurch of his stomach. He'd seen those three disfigured corpses before, nearly ten years ago. They were his parents and sister.

He found himself unconsciously wiping the tears out of the corners of his eyes, trying to see who the other four were. They seemed so familiar, these four, but he couldn't place them, let alone think coherently when his mind kept drifting back to his long-deceased family. Everything he'd felt those ten-odd years ago rushed back to him in an instant - the curling wisps of smoke, the bright, flickering flames, the acrid smell of burning flesh, his uncle's firm hand holding him back as he frantically struggled against it, trying to salvage any part of his life before it all burned away. It was something that no one should go through, especially not a six-year-old boy with a tendency toward escapism.

Even at seventeen, the memories held every bit as much pain as they had eleven years ago. He could still hear his sister's choked screams echoing throughout the neighborhood, still feel how tightly his uncle gripped his shoulder and how the smoke burned his lungs.

When he could bear to look again, he saw not only the bodies of his family and those other four, but of everyone he knew, from Toby to Clare to Leelee. They all lay around him, blackened and still smoldering.

Just when he thought it all might overpower him, something in his mind clicked with a nauseating jolt. He knew who the four were, which quartet was missing from the multitudes of bodies surrounding him. They were his friends.

With that realization as the straw that broke the camel's back, the young man sunk to the ground much like he had eleven years ago, arms curling around his legs as he let his tears flow.

* * *

"Nick, where are you? This isn't funny anymore," Leelee called out. She pushed some brush in front of her out of the way only to find a lone figure standing there. It was too far away to tell, not to mention how dark it was in this forest, but she could tell that it definitely wasn't human. Joy.

"Hello?" she asked it, taking a step forward. Instantly, she was standing in the Underworld. "What happened? How'd I get here?" the vampire princess demanded, touching a wall to confirm that this really was the Underworld and not an illusion. Her hand was met by cool stone, meaning this truly was the pit, or a product of extremely complex illusionary magic. The other creature was next to her in a lightning quick flash, letting out a shrieking laugh.

"You jest, daughter. You've always been down here, and you will be for all eternity," answered Necrolai. Leelee gave her mother a disgruntled look.

"And what do you mean by that? Where's Nick?" The vampire queen scoffed.

"That mortal? He has been dead for over a millennium. We are all that is left of the darkness." Leelee rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right, like I'm supposed to believe that. Luthaar," she said, waiting for the spell to take effect. She may have been half vampire, but her human half meant she could use magic when she needed to, albeit dampened by her vampiric half. When nothing happened, she threw her mother an acid glare.

"What'd you do to me?" she spat. Necrolai only shook her head, resting her forehead on the palm of her hand in disappointment.

"Foolish girl. We are trapped in this pit for the rest of our existence. We are here forever."

"But that's impossible," the vampire princess replied, still indignant. "I can't live forever. I didn't get any of your vampire powers." Her mother chuckled derisively.

"You inherited one, daughter. My longevity is yours, and we are here for all eternity." As the words sank in, disbelief began to fade away. Her mother was speaking the truth. She was stuck in this desolate abyss forever.

No. She refused to let desolation sink in. As a half-vampire, she'd at least have aged. And for not even a few Hidiacs to have survived? They were zombies; it wasn't like they could die of old age. This couldn't be real. It wasn't. None of this was real. She repeated that line over and over in her mind, making it feel more true every time she said it.

Responding to her thoughts, the caves around her shimmered away, revealing the Cimmerian Forest. She looked around happily, glad to be out of the freakish mind trick, and her eyes fell on Nick. He was crouched down, hands hovering in the air as if actually resting on something. She started toward him, but something stopped. There was something going on here, and she needed a few more minutes to think it over. Nick could wait a little longer, whatever was going on with him.

* * *

Madison lay sprawled before him, scars and burns littering her body, only key scraps of her former uniform remaining. She looked as if she would cry just from seeing him.

Shaking himself out of his trance, he took a few steps forward and knelt next to her. He tried placing a hand on her shoulder, but she flinched from even his touch.

"Oh, Maddie," he murmured, brushing a finger across her cheek despite her not so involuntarily recoil. "What have I done?"

"What haven't you done?" she threw back, no real conviction in her words or emotion in her eyes. She may have retained her wit, but there was no heart behind it anymore, as if it had become merely a reflex. It broke Nick's heart to see her like this, and because of him.

"How did this happen?" he asked quietly, question directed only toward himself. "How could this happen?"

"The same way it always happens. Something goes wrong and here I am," Maddie answered, words falling short of what could've been hatred. He glanced up into those dead eyes, so hollow and cold, and forced himself to keep looking despite the overwhelming urge to look away, to pretend she wasn't there.

"But I would never hurt you," he said unconvincingly. The girl before him was enough to put a shred of doubt in his mind.

"Like hell you would. It's all you do now."

"I love you, though," he replied weakly. She only rolled her eyes, adding to his mounting doubt and confusion. What was wrong with her? She knew he loved her no matter what, but this Madison didn't seem to know or care. What had happened to her that had broken her in such a way? How could he have even done something that terrible that it destroyed her feelings for him? And how could it have happened so fast? He hadn't even seen her in almost two weeks. He had to know exactly how this had happened. If he didn't, it would eat away at him for an eternity. He gently reached out to her, probing the edges of her mind, and found something entirely different.

This Maddie, the one lying before him, had no thoughts. None whatsoever. He couldn't feel a single thought or emotion even in the darkest depths. That wasn't possible. Even a Maddie this broken would have thoughts, unless -

Unless she wasn't real. He almost laughed with realization. She wasn't real. She was only an illusion, a figment of his imagination.

As this simple fact began to take hold in his mind, everything around him faded away, revealing only himself and Leelee. The vampire princess grinned gleefully when she saw Nick shake his head, trying to rid himself of the images that still lingered.

"What happened to you?" Leelee asked, taking a few steps closer to him and offering her hand. He took it without hesitation and stood up.

"I'm not sure," he answered, rubbing a temple in an attempt to ward away the last dregs of the strange experience. "It was kind of like a nightmare, but I was awake." She nodded.

"Like you faced a really big fear that you weren't really sure existed until now?" It was his turn to nod. "Yeah, the same thing happened to me." Her glanced at her, unsure of why she could be so perky after claiming to go through a potentially traumatizing event.

"And as fun as this little detour has been, we need to keep going," Nick said, promptly changing the subject. The less he had to think about that strange Madison, the better.

"Do we have to?" she whined, giving the former Red Ranger a pouty frown. When she received a withering glare from him, she conceded with a simple "Fine." With that, they began their trek once again, one step closer to the Fire Heart.

* * *

Even as Madison quietly cried, her friends continued to mock her. Their words struck a chord deep within her, a metaphorical stab to the heart.

"Look at her crying," Nick snickered. "How pitiful."

"Aww, are the big bad people calling you names?" Vida asked in a voice that you'd use to talk to babies. "And you're just going to cry about it. Typical."

"She could fight back, but nooo. We'll cry instead, thank you very much."

"Always the shy, sensitive wallflower. No wonder she has no friends. No one wants to deal with such a reserved, boring girl."

How could they say those things? They were her friends, and yet here they were, saying these stupid things, bringing up her tiniest insecurities and mocking them. It wasn't right. No, it wasn't right at all...

As that thought echoed in her mind, she felt a righteous fury building up within her. The tears that had just moments ago spilled from her eyes ceased, replaced by an ever-so-slight touch of red coating her vision.

They were her friends. They weren't supposed to say things like that. Something strange was going on here, and it wasn't right. Every other thought fled her mind as she became intent on righting this wrong.

She stood herself up slowly, looking fiercely at each of what she could only assume were imposters. They sure as hell weren't her real friends. Her powerful new stance and aura didn't seem to faze them, as they kept verbally breaking her down.

"Stop," she said forcefully, finally catching their attention. All their words faltered as they stared at her.

"I have no clue what your collective problems are, and I don't care. Nothing gives you the right to say those stupid, arrogant things about me. Stop, or I'll make you myself." They all blinked a few times and, much to Maddie's surprise, vanished. Maddie herself blinked and looked around as the hint of red in her vision faded away. Just feet from her stood Vida, Chip and Xander, all seemingly struggling against invisible tortures in various poses. It vaguely registered in the back of her mind that all the grass around Xander seemed to have died in the few minutes she'd been stuck in her waking nightmare.

Filing the thought away, she stepped toward her friends, but hesitated in helping them for a moment, not sure what effect her interference could have. It only took her another second to dismiss the consequences and bend down to look at her sister, placing a hand on her shoulder.

_This could be interesting,_ she thought as the world around her shimmered away and she felt a sudden jerk from behind her naval.

* * *

She couldn't bear to look up as a hand touched down on her shoulder. If she didn't look, then it wasn't there. Her friends wouldn't be hurt and Maddie wouldn't be pleading for help that Vida couldn't give. She chose to let a few despondent tears escape and soak into her uniform.

Only when a soft voice said "Hey, sis," did she look up. Hope threatened to burst her wide open when she saw Madison's compassionate face smiling at her.

"Maddie?" she asked, praying that this wasn't a hallucination. The Blue Ranger nodded.

"It's me," she answered with a smile like sunshine. Vida glanced between the two Maddies, realizing how utterly confusing this suddenly was.

"But you - "she stammered, indicating the other Madison, still staring vacantly their way. The real Maddie looked at her and gasped. It was a perfect replica of herself. Well, almost perfect. This copy was beaten and utterly broken, and nothing like the real version. Next to it lay their three guy friends, all in the same condition as her own clone. It was a stunning sight to see herself in such a way, let alone her friends, but she knew that she had to remain strong and pull the team out of this like a good leader. Putting the smile that had fallen away back on, she looked to Vida again.

"She's not real, Veed. I am. She's just an illusion," Maddie answered, giving her twin a smile. "You believe me, right?" Vida blinked back a few tears and nodded.

"I believe you," the girl managed, forcing back the few happy tears that welled up.

"Then you have to take my hand," Maddie responded, holding a hand out to her twin, "and we can get out of here." The Pink Ranger eagerly took her sister's hand and instantly, the world around them shifted. No longer did her friends lie tortured out of her reach, but frozen a few steps to her right.

"Are they... ?" Vida asked, standing up with Maddie as the younger twin nodded.

"Yeah, they are. And we need to help them." It was Vida's turn to nod as the twins each approached one of the guys. Nodding to each other, they each grasped onto their respective friend's shoulder. While Maddie was ready for what was to come, Vida was completely unprepared for both the naval jerk and what she would face in Chip's reality.

* * *

Madison found herself very suddenly surrounded by dead vegetation as she was pulled into Xander's world. In fact, every plant within ten feet of him was darkened and crunchy. He himself had wrapped his arms around his legs, curled into an almost fetal position.

"Xander?" she said gently, not wanting to startle him. He didn't even react to her voice. "Xander?" The second time garnered a reaction, small as it was.

"What?" he replied miserably, not looking up. "I thought you hated me."

"Xander, I could never hate you," Maddie stated, moving to his front and crouching before him. She softly lifted his chin up, forcing him to look at her. "You're too charming not to like, even if Plan Xander doesn't always work." Xander's face was graced by a quick smile, but that quickly vanished after a moment. It was replaced by a depressed frown.

"You're just saying that so that it hurts more when you say you hate me."

"No," she replied adamantly. "It's true. Xander, we love you. You are charming and smart and the best supervisor we could ask for, even when you're just sitting around. You even kick some major butt with that axe of yours." This time his smile stuck, tiny as it was.

"Really? But what about them?" he asked, pointing to the others behind her. She glanced back, a smile spreading across her face.

"They aren't real, silly. Those fakes couldn't hold a candle to us." His smile grew wider, hope ballooning dangerously in his chest.

"So are you ready to join us back in reality?" she asked after a moment, holding out a hand. The Green Wizard took it after a moment's hesitation. Everything around them shimmered slightly as they were pulled back into normalcy. Save for a patch of dead grass where Xander had been sitting, everything seemed to still be alive and back to its regular greenery. Now Madison could only hope that Vida was faring as well.

* * *

The world Vida found herself in was startling, to say the least. Her heart broke to look around at the charred scenery, and it broke again as she saw seven bodies all in a neat row just feet from the pair. She recognized all seven vaguely, and knew exactly why Chip was trapped here: his house had burned down when he was six, almost seven, and he'd been the only survivor. Neither Vida nor Madison had known him very long when it had happened, but they'd seen the effect it'd had on him. His mother, father, sister, house and belongings all gone in less than an hour - it was a wonder he even talked now.

"Oh, Chip," she murmured to herself, voice brimming with compassion. He didn't look her in the face, choosing instead to stare at the ground vacantly as tears coated his cheeks.

"Everyone's gone again," he whispered hoarsely after a moment, not really talking to anyone but himself. "They all left me again. They always leave me." Vida, not knowing what else to do, bent down and pulled her oldest friend unexpectedly into a tight hug. This was enough to pull him back to reality, or at least the sham of a reality he was stuck in.

"V?" he asked softly, slowly wrapping his arms around her. "How are you here? You're -" His words broke off abruptly as he glanced to the septet of bodies to his right. Vida followed his line of vision, stomach lurching as her eyes fell on one particular body. It was charred hideously, but she now recognized it easily. It was her. Tears welled up in her eyes as the impact of it all hit her.

"Chip, they're not real. You have to believe me," she choked out, managing to smile through the few tears that escaped. He stared at the bodies in despair for another moment before turning his gaze back to her.

"But Mom and Dad and Elly... "

"Aren't real. Your real family is back in Briarwood, and they're still gone. But your uncle is still there, and I know he needs you around. Who else would help him remember where he leaves everything?" The Yellow Ranger cracked a small smile.

"I know, V. But you guys are all gone too... " Vida shook her head, entire demeanor resolute.

"They're cheap copies, just illusions. I'm the real deal, and I can help you get out of here. You have to believe me, though." She gave him a meaningful look and after a few seconds, he grinned.

"I do. So how do we get out of here?" he asked, pushing himself into a standing position. Vida followed suit, holding out a hand.

"Just take my hand and we're off." Her heart jumped as she realized that he'd already entwined his hand with her own. The feeling was quickly and easily attributed to the sudden shift in reality and was promptly forgotten about. As they appeared back in the true reality, so did Madison and Xander.

"Good to see you feeling more yourself again," Xander said cheerfully to Chip, who smiled back.

"Good to see you alive," he replied, a hint of sadness in his voice. The Green Wizard stared at his friend quizzically, but Maddie stepped in before he could ask any questions.

"Now that we've all made it past that little road block, we should get back to finding the Fire Heart before anyone else does. The darkness wants it too, and I've got this feeling that they're close," she stated authoritatively. The others simply nodded and followed the already leaving girl as she wove between the gnarled Cimmerian trees. They didn't know it, but she was becoming more anxious with every step closer to this Fire Heart. Something nagged on the edge of her mind, but she couldn't place exactly what it was. She finally chalked it up to the warped magic of the forest after many silent minutes trying to pin it down. Still, the feelings of both dread and excitement weighing down in her gut couldn't be ignored.

* * *

"Almost there," Nick said, stepping over a fallen tree. Leelee was right behind him, trying not to get too much mud on her platform boots.

"Thankfully," she muttered back, looking disgustedly at the bugs crawling over the log.

"Here we go," he stated, ignoring her comment as he glanced between an open quarry and the map. Without hesitation, he walked into the dusty ground, the bright sun shining down on his dirtied uniform. Leelee moved to his side, frowning.

"So where's this Fire Heart?" she asked. "I want to get out of here." As Nick rolled his eyes at her stereotypical comment, a glint of gold caught them.

"How's that for you?" he said, pointing to the distant glimmer. The two exchanged a glance and broke into a nigh-sprint toward it, which wasn't exceptionally easy seeing as both were wearing boots. 'It' turned out to be a large golden rock buried under a pile of other rocks. The pair quickly moved the other stones away, completely revealing the golden rock and the small symbol etched into the top.

"This is has to be it," Nick said absently. Kneeling to examine it, he muttered something and tapped the symbol. A few words in Ancient shimmered in the air for a minute before fading away. Leelee just stared with an arched eyebrow.

"So what did that mumbo jumbo say?" Nick glanced up at her.

"What, you can't read a simple line of the language of the Ancients?"

"No. I never had the need to growing up in a pit," she huffed.

"Whatever," Nick replied, glancing back to the stone. "It says that the secrets of the Fire Heart lie within."

"And just how are we supposed to open up that stupid rock?" Nick flashed her a smile.

"Leave that to me." He stood up and moved a few feet back, pulling Leelee along beside him. She found herself backing up a few more feet as he held up a hand and aimed two fingers at the stone, as if his hand were a gun. Without warning, a stream of fire erupted from the tips of those two fingers, engulfed the rock and liquefying the solid gold around it. A small metal tube was all that was left as he pulled his hand up, ending the fire stream. He stepped forward to grab it when he was distracted by a rustling sound to his left. Both he and Leelee leapt into fighting positions without a thought, but were frozen to the spot the moment he saw the quartet come over the small hill.

Madison was in the front, staring down at the map in her hands, followed by Chip and Xander, with Vida taking up the rear. The latter three froze as they saw the Underworld duo, but Maddie kept walking, too absorbed by the map.

"This should be it, guys," she said out loud, looking to either side of her. When she realized that no one was there, she turned to look at her stock-still friends. "What's wrong? You guys look like you've seen a ghost." None responded, save for the shaky finger Vida held up toward Nick and Leelee. Maddie followed the invisible line her sister's finger made, eyes widening in what would've been a comical expression if it hadn't been for the current situation.

"Nick?" she sputtered, completely sucked in by his presence. His eyes had changed greatly since she last saw them, now a dark green with dull flecks of crimson sticking out sporadically. Despite the fact that nothing else seemed to have changed much, he still seemed more gorgeous than she remembered. Maybe it was only the time apart, but she couldn't deny it.

"And... Leelee?" Vida added questioningly, moving to a spot next to her sister. Chip and Xander followed close behind, flanking the twin Rangers.

"What are you doing here?" Xander asked, more than a little confused by the blonde's presence.

"The same thing you are," the vampire princess sneered. "Looking for the secrets of the Fire Heart."

"But how?" Leelee smirked, dropping her fists and flipping a flaxen lock over her shoulder.

"That's not for you to know, Ranger," she answered, adding extra venom to the last word.

"Whatever your story is, the Fire Heart is ours," Vida stated. Her glare, which could wither the mightiest warrior, only made Leelee's smirk wider.

"Strong words, Pinky, but we already have it." She walked over to Nick's right side and slipped the ancient container out from under the slowly cooling metal. A fire flared up in Vida's eyes.

"No one calls me Pinky," she growled, lunging at the young woman. For a moment, the other Rangers could only stare at the spectacle, save for Nick and Madison, both of whom hadn't removed their eyes from each other or heard a word the others said. As that moment passed and Leelee proved that she was a more than capable fighter, Xander and Chip jumped into the fray. All three Rangers, who'd begun their training only months before, against Leelee, who'd been trained since birth, was an almost even match. Both sides called repeatedly for their frozen members, but the two seemed to be drifting toward each other instead of the fight.

Vida, with the help of Chip, fully dislodged the tube from Leelee's hands and backed away from the fight. While Xander and Chip did their best to hold the vampire princess at bay, the Pink Ranger eagerly opened the golden-black cylinder and pulled out an ancient piece of parchment. Just as she began to unroll it, Leelee delivered a swift roundhouse kick to Chip and Xander, sending them flying away from her. Seizing her opening, she jumped up next to Vida and grabbed one end of the rolled paper. They both tried fighting the other, but it was almost useless without their hands. Vida kicked Leelee's feet out from underneath her, realizing only as the girl went down that they both still had firm grips on the paper. It tore is half with a ripping sound that seemed louder than it was. Vida was thrown back abruptly by the sudden release of force, landing on her back in a fashion similar to Leelee. Chip and Xander clamored up and rushed to Vida's side, helping her up. When both girls saw they only had one half of the map and how adamant the other was about getting it, they realized the futility of pushing the battle any further.

"Time to go, sis," Vida said, looking over to her twin as Leelee looked to Nick.

"Let's blow this joi- Ewww... " Leelee added, disgust crossing her face as she saw Madison and Nick.

The two were engaged in a passionate make out session. Maddie's hands were woven through Nick's hair, while his hands rested on her hips, occasionally moving to the small of her back. Both of their faces were flushed and neither seemed aware of the fight that had just taken place next to them. Their teammates stared at them horror for a moment before they were on the couple, tearing them apart forcefully.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Leelee shouted at Nick, who seemed incredibly dazed. "I could've used your help in the fight back there." Vida was busy shouting similar things at her twin while Chip and Xander tried to bring the girl back to reality.

"... And now we only have half of the map!" was the first thing both teens heard from their respective teammates as they came out of their trances. Leelee shook Nick harshly.

"What were you doing kissing her? She's the enemy!" The young man's eyes snapped to her, giving her a furious glare.

"She is not my enemy," he stated, eyes alight with passion as he pushed her hands off his shoulders. "She's my girlfriend."

"She's on their side. You're on ours. She has to be your enemy because she's good." He shook his head.

"No. She may be good, but she'll never be my enemy." Realizing that he wasn't going to relent, Leelee caved, at least for the time being.

"Whatever," she replied with a roll of her eyes, grabbing Nick's hand. "Let's just get out of here now."

Less than ten feet from the duo, Vida was trying to convince Maddie of the same thing.

"He's evil now," she said, "and that means you can't kiss him in the middle of battle. Hell, you shouldn't make out in battle even when he's good. You just can't go making out with him whenever you damn well please!"

"He's still got some good in him," Maddie replied. "I can see it in his eyes. And it's not like you lost the fight."

"We only have half of the map! That's not exactly winning to me." Amidst the twin's fervor, something in Madison's mind clicked.

"I can get the other half," she said with a quick grin, stepping in front of her friends and flipping open her wand. "_Acci map_!"

Nick could feel the spell coming and instinctively turned around, shouting, "_Declin signum_!" A dark purple-gold seal flared up underneath he and Leelee and absorbed the spell. Everyone stared at him in amazement, but his gaze was affixed to Madison.

"Nice try," he said, completely honest. "But it wasn't enough. We'll keep our half of the map and you keep yours, like it's meant to be." He sighed, a deep, soul-bearing sigh. "I miss you, Maddie. Today was good, but it's not enough. I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"Me too," she murmured back, a few tears clinging to her eyes. "Please don't go."

"I have to," he replied sadly. The other four teens were seemingly frozen as the two came together and kissed again, a soft meeting of lips that lasted only for a moment. It was over after a few seconds, and then Nick was back at Leelee's side, leaving Maddie feeling unfulfilled as he disappeared with the vampiress. As stellar as the kisses had been, they didn't begin to break down the excruciating longing for any Nick that had built up over the past week or so.

It was a moment before she realized that the few tears she'd been holding back now stained her cheeks. Vida's hand now rested on her shoulder.

"We need to get back to Root Core," the Sprite stated, layers of sympathy playing in her voice. Maddie simply nodded and forced her feet to move, too caught up in her thoughts to really know what she was doing. All she could think of was when she'd see Nick again, of all the things she would do. She would see him again, that much she knew. She would make sure of it.

* * *

"Only half of the map? You bring me only half of the secret of the Fire Heart?" rumbled Morticon, launching himself off of his throne with his sword drawn. As he swung at Nick, his fang-sword was met by two blades; Nick himself had summoned his MagiStaff sword, albeit slightly different looking than its original form. Koragg had too drawn his blade and halted the blow. The three stood still for a second, the father and son glaring at the cyborg, who sent back an equally powerful glare. Finally, the latter dropped his blade away from the others' and sat back on his throne.

"You'd better have a good explanation, Red Wizard," he growled. Nick willed his sword away, unfazed by Morticon's anger.

"Actually, it's because of me that we even have half. If I hadn't stopped her spell, Madison would've summoned it out of Leelee's hands."

"And why didn't you take the other half from this Blue Witch?"

"She would've used the same spell to stop mine. It would've been pointless." Leelee stepped forward, throwing herself into the conversation.

"It was kind of pointless to send me up, too. I know I kicked some ass while he was making out, but now the Rangers know who I am. They won't let me anywhere near them now." Morticon held up a hand.

"Wait. While the Red Wizard was doing what?"

"Kissing Madison, duh." She added extra emphasis to the last word, like he should know all the slang from the surface.

"He did what?" Morticon shouted, leaping up from his throne again and throwing Nick an acid stare. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Nick replied coldly. "Now, unless we have anything else important to discuss, I'm leaving." He waited only a moment before about-facing and stalking back to the series of caverns he currently called home. Morticon, Necrolai and Leelee simply stared in a stunned fashion at where he'd exited, while Koragg smirked. The boy's brazen attitude in the face of such powerful creatures was incredible, but not unexpected. It was a trait the both of them shared, among many others. Nick truly was his father's son, and the similarities bled through his every action. This pleased Koragg to no end, knowing that everything was exactly as it should be and there was no way to change it.

* * *

_A/N_ - Wow, this one took a long time to bang out. I'm not sure why, though. I'm just glad I finished it, seeing as school starts tomorrow for me. I'm not sure how it'll affect updates, but we'll find out, I guess. I did some minor editing to all of the chapters up to six or seven (I can't remember), but nothing major. Just little things. There's no need to go back and reread them unless you want to. This chapter was fun, despite the time between updates and the torture I put some characters through. I hope you guys like the fears and you think they feel appropriate for the characters.

On a side note, RangerLove made a great trailer for this story. Check it out and comment her if you want to. I personally love it. This chapter is dedicated to her because of it.

And I know I keep saying that I'm getting close to writing the last chapters (on paper) but I really am now. Just to let you know, this story will be over after the Stranger Within series plays out in its own way in my story. Don't think it'll be over soon because of that, though. The next few parts will be a mix of original scenes and adaptations of both Stranger Within parts. And there will be a sequel, if you can call it that. It's less of a sequel and more of a continuation, chronicling how the other episodes would've played out in the AU. I've got some big ideas for this story, which'll probably be longer than this current one, and they're getting bigger every day.

Anyway, I'll shut up now and move to the next chapter. Until next time!


	14. Chapter Thirteen

"Where are you going?" Leelee queried, giving Nick a funny look as he stalked past her.

Not even stopping to look back at her, he simply stated, "Out." She grinned, recognizing the angry tone in his voice.

"Koragg kicked your ass in training again, didn't he?" A rude hand gesture was all she received as an answer before the young man disappeared into another branch of caverns.

Unfortunately for Nick, she was right. Once again, he'd been completely slaughtered by his father in training. Even after two weeks, he'd barely been able to hold his own, let alone win, and it was starting to piss him off. At that rate, he'd never be a knight, or even a formidable warrior. Before, Koragg had held back, but with the new circumstances, he was more than Nick's equal. And it didn't help that his own MagiStaff sword kept changing, throwing him off as it became a bit wider and heavier each time. Why it was doing so, he had no clue, but it only added to the mounting frustration he felt. That was why he'd stormed out of training with his father only minutes ago, intent on going to one of the few places where he could blow off some steam: Briarwood.

He quickly changed to regular surface clothes, knowing his detailed vest and dark cape would be a little too conspicuous unless fashion had drastically changed in only two weeks' time. One pair of jeans, a dark red t-shirt and his usual leather jacket later, he was ready to head surface-ward. He wasn't sure what to expect except for one interesting time.

* * *

"So where is my brother?" a young woman demanded. The twin buns of her dark hair bounced as she talked, capturing the cashier's attention. She really did have nice hair, a shade darker than your regular brown and wonderfully silky looking, and a nice body to go along with it, now that he thought about it. Very nice feminine curves while still being fairly fit. Her jeans hugged her hips quite nicely, too, and the way that purple tank top fit...

Xander was snapped out of his reverie by a pronounced clearing of her throat.

"Say what?" he said, blinking and clearing his own throat nervously. She may be cute, but she looked like she could seriously kick his ass if he wasn't careful.

The girl rolled her eyes, used to the way this high school guy was looking at her, just like every other teenage guy who had too much ego and not enough brains.

"I was asking you where my brother really is. He mentioned working here, and you seem to fit the description of his friend Xander. Am I right?" The young man blinked, amazed by how she already knew his name. Pushing himself past her body, he focused on the fact that her brother seemed to work here. If she was right, then that meant she could only be one person.

"You're Gracey, aren't you? Nick's sister?" She smiled.

"Finally using our upper brain, now are we?" she asked foxily, flashing him a coy smile. "Anyway, yeah, Nick's my little brother. I want to know where the hell he is. He said he'd be at Grandma's place, but every time I stop by there, she always tells me he isn't around. I want to know what's actually going on."

"He's, uhhh... Well... " Xander stammered, trying to think of a cover story while ignoring the fact that he'd been ogling a friend's sister and she'd noticed, not to mention the fact that this certain friend currently happened to be evil. Many a bad scenario crossed his mind before he finally gathered himself enough to point at Madison and say, "She might be able to help you." Gracey followed his hand to a dark brown sheet of hair bobbing up and down between shelves near the back. Instantly she recognized the young woman and smiled as she approached her.

"Hi, Madison," she said pleasantly, surprising the younger girl, who dropped a few vinyls. Madison twirled around, forgetting the records when she saw whom it was.

"Oh, hey Gracey!" she replied happily, a large smile gracing her features. "What's up?" The barely older woman smiled back.

"Shouldn't you get those?" she asked, indicating the fallen and abandoned records. Maddie glanced down at them, almost having forgotten that they were there, and scooped them into her arms hurriedly.

"Sorry. You kind of startled me," she said sheepishly, mindlessly organizing the albums. "So what brings you to our little shop?"

"I'm looking for Nick. Do you know where he is?" Maddie furrowed her brow.

"Didn't he tell you? He's staying at your grandma Lydia's house," she answered, shelving a few more records as she did. Gracey shook her head.

"I'm not entirely sure about that. I've visited her almost every day this week and he's always either not available or out somewhere. I want to know where he really is, so I figured I'd check here, since you guys are his friends and he works here and all. The guy behind the counter said you might know where he was."

"Oh, really?" Maddie said with interested, leaning forward to see who was working the register. Xander. She made a mental note to kick him later.

Gracey arched an eyebrow and asked "So do you know where he is? Because he's definitely not at Grandma's." Maddie stocked a few more albums, buying herself time to think.

"He's... " She paused. Where else would he be? If she named any other relatives, Gracey would just check with them and find out that she was lying. She couldn't tell her the truth. No one would believe that. Lydia believed in magic, and it took a display of Nick's firepower to prove it. Not that she couldn't mix some of the truth into her lie.

"Okay, honestly?" she said finally, breathing a deep sigh as an idea formed in her mind. Gracey only stood still, eagerly awaiting an answer. "He found his birth parents and decided to spend some time getting to know them."

"And he couldn't tell me why?" Gracey asked, still suspicious. It sounded right enough, but her little brother wasn't one to hide the truth. The morning before he left, he'd seemed more quiet and pensive than usual, and it had bothered her. He was usually more talkative than that and it had bothered her all day. Now it was only fodder to add to her suspicion that there was more going on here than she knew.

"He wasn't sure how you'd take it, and he got your grandma to cover for him," Maddie replied, thinking out the possibilities to branch off of that white lie even as she spoke.

"I don't know," she murmured, still not entirely convinced but becoming closer. "He knows that I'd be up for meeting the people who gave him to us. He could've at least told me."

"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. He found them and they wanted to meet them," Maddie added, moving to another shelf and nudging a crate of DVDs along with her foot.

Gracey seemed to think this all over, finally responding, "So when do you think he'll be back?" Apparently, she'd accepted the lie. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie. He had found his birth parents, or at least one of them. He still didn't know about Udonna.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully it'll be soon, but we really have no clue." _We don't even know how to turn him good again,_ she silently added.

"Okay, one last question: Why is his bike parked outside?" she asked, a wry smile on her lips. Maddie was caught in the headlights by this question, mind not reacting quickly enough to give an answer. "You see, my little brother loves that bike to death. Unless he's here, in which case you're lying to me, he only leaves it with someone else he trusts completely, like you, when he's going to be gone for a long time to somewhere where he wouldn't need it and he can't take care of it himself. Either way, I know you're lying. I can see it in your eyes." Wow. Gracey was good. She'd made Maddie believe that she believed Maddie's lie completely. Not to mention the fact that she'd noticed the bike parked on the other side of the street, as opposed to in front of the shop.

"Ummm... " she stammered, trying to think of how to get herself out of this question. She hadn't counted on Gracey being so observant.

Fortunately she was saved from another round of "Ummmm"s by Vida's loud gasp of, "No freaking way." Almost everyone in the store turned to look. The Rangers, Maddie especially, froze in their tracks as they saw who'd just sauntered in.

* * *

Nick ambled slowly through Briarwood, taking in the fresh air and sunlight. Those were two of the many things he missed about the surface. The caves may have been relatively cool compared to your typical Californian August, but they had nothing on the warm sun lighting up the streets. He'd taken off his jacket soon after his arrival, not entirely used to not needing it.

As he strolled through a quaint farmer's market he'd run across, a display of bright red apples caught his eye. They looked good, and you didn't exactly get that kind of stuff in the Underworld. Indulging himself in a way only a servant of darkness could, he snatched the best looking apple off of the cart and bit into it as he kept walking. The vendor noticed Nick's actions and grabbed the young man by the shoulder.

"You gonna pay for that?" he asked solemnly, arching his eyebrows as he glanced down at the apple. Nick didn't bother to even look the man in the face, simply pulling himself out of the man's grip and walking away. The vendor gave him a flabbergasted look and shouted "Hey now!" at the departing young man.

Nick kept walking, even as the man started to follow him. A smile was growing on his face for the entirety of the three seconds the older man was following him.

The vendor began to jog after the boy, but stopped dead in his tracks as his stand became a bonfire and a half-eaten red apple smacked him squarely on the cheek. When he later asked the others around him if they'd seen the boy who'd stolen an apple, they only shook their heads dazedly and denied ever seeing the young man steal anything, and they were quite sure that he was an upstanding young citizen.

Having had his bit of fun, Nick pushed on, trying to decide where to go now. Briarwood offered many forms of entertainment, but his actions at the market had put him in the mood to stir up some excitement. Causing a bit of chaos seemed to be what this trip was made for and he wasn't going to go against the flow.

He found himself bounding down the steps and sauntering into the Rock Porium without much thought; his feet had carried him there almost by routine. He may have ridden his bike to work, but he and Maddie would often walk to lunch on days when they hadn't used their break time to fight a monster, and flying down those steps felt entirely natural to him. Yet another thing he missed about the surface.

For a moment, there was no response to his quiet entrance. Then, almost on cue, came the "No freaking way" from near the DJ's corner, no doubt Vida. Every eye in the building now rested on him, but only five sets lingered any longer than that.

From the office came a muted "Eureka!" followed by Toby sprinting out, holding a mutated-looking sphere out before him.

"I did it!" he shouted, his exuberance drawing some gazes to him now. He looked around giddily, eyes falling on Nick with more than a bit of confusion. "When'd you get here?"

"Oh, just now," he answered casually, as if his sudden appearance after two weeks of absence was nothing special. Before anyone could pursue any other conversation with him, he was suddenly and forcefully thrown back by something tanned and flying. Two arms wrapped around his neck as he stumbled to regain his balance.

"Nick!" it shouted joyfully, albeit slightly muffled. "I was beginning to wonder where you were." It quickly removed its face from the crook his neck, revealing a slightly more angry looking Gracey. "Where were you? And why didn't you tell me?" Her eyes now glinted with a sharper look of questioning, with hints of hurt. Nick only smiled back slowly.

"I take it you know I'm not at Grandma's already, right?" She nodded, awaiting an answer. "The truth is, I was with my dad. Well, my biological one. Our dad's in, where, New Zealand? I can never exactly keep track." She continued her unwavering gaze that demanded answers. "Okay, okay, I know, it was no excuse not to tell you, but I'm not a little kid anymore. I can take of myself." Gracey rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever," she said, only partially serious. He wasn't telling her the full truth and she knew it. She'd always been able to see it in his eyes, and this time was no different. Except... "What's wrong with your eyes?" He furrowed his brow, confused by her question. After a moment of thought, he realized what she meant.

"You want to know why they're red and green?" he asked, smiling slightly. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She frowned back at him.

"Try me."

"If you insist," he conceded. The customers had gone back to what they were doing when they saw nothing interesting happen, but the four employees openly gaped at their friend and his sister. Vida let the records play without interference, Madison shoved random DVDs on the shelf before her, Xander wordlessly put a customer's purchase into the first bag he could grab, despite it being much smaller than necessary, and Chip flat-out stared. They all wondered what Nick could say that would pass as the truth.

"You see," he began, "My father is a dark wizard and he used his magic to bring out my own dark side. The spell changed my eyes to a dark red, but they've been changing back, kind of. Now I'm living in the Underworld with him and my friend who happens to be a vampire princess. We're plotting to bring down the Power Rangers, which I happen to be one of. "He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Probably shouldn't destroy myself, though."

Gracey stood stunned, absorbing his words. By her wide eyes, it looked like she actually believed him. Then, she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Yeah, right," she laughed. "Good one. Contacts, right?" He didn't reply, only smiling.

"Anyway," she started after getting over another fit of giggles, "as long as you're safe and Grandma knows where you are and how to contact you, I'm good. Oh, and at least try to call me. You're not allowed to disappear for two weeks without at least a credible lie. And try not to stay with these people for too long. School starts in a few weeks and Mom and Dad'll be on my ass if you're a no-show." She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek and smiled sweetly as she came back down. "Stay good, little brother." As she stated those simple yet ironic words, she wandered past her brother and out of the shop. Nick watched her leave, slowly turning his gaze back to the interior of the shop, where four sets of eyes burnt into him.

"So how's it going, guys?" he asked casually, as if he hadn't been evil for nearly two weeks.

"'How's it going?'" Vida roared, jumping off of her platform and stomping over to him. "What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out planning our gruesome deaths or something?"

"No way," he chuckled, wandering over to a rack of CDs and browsing through them offhandedly. "I'm not planning on killing you. I love Maddie too much and you guys are still my friends, even if you are my enemies."

"Do you even hear yourself?"

"Yeah, I do. I know exactly what I'm saying," he replied hotly, shooting her a venomous glance. "I'm not going to kill you guys. I won't let my allies, either. Not that they're really my allies, anyway. Necrolai's a two-faced hag, Morticon can't see anything beyond destruction and my father's loyal to a fault to the Master. All I want is to go along with my life, maybe cause a little chaos along the way, have a little fun in our world without worrying about the consequences. We all have our own agendas, and mine doesn't involve you guys dead. Mostly just me having a good time no matter who's in power, as long as they don't get in my way." Vida stared into the space he had just occupied as he walked away, trying to assimilate everything she'd just heard.

"I missed you," he whispered suddenly into Madison's ear, startling her with his almost instant appearance behind her. She hadn't been paying much attention since he walked in, mind too boggled by him simply showing up there as if it were no big deal. His arms snaked around her waist as he rested his head on her shoulder. "Come for a walk with me," he cajoled softly. With absolutely no interference from her brain, she acquiesced, taking his hand as she let the CDs in it hit the floor. She muttered a bad excuse to Toby and nearly tore off her work shirt.

The couple walked in silence through the fresh outside air for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other. Maddie was the first to reluctantly break the silence.

"We miss you up here," she said, adding, "I miss you up here. Seeing you the other day was great, but... "

"But it wasn't enough. I know. I know the feeling. Every day that I'm in that damned pit, I wish you were there with me."

"And I wish you were up here, a part of our team again. We all miss you. Even Vida."

"So she always shouts at people she misses with a voice full of hate?" Madison shook her head.

"She's just angry that you're gone. She understands why you had to, but that doesn't mean she can't be angry about it. It's just her way of dealing. She misses you like we all do. Phineas and Toby and Clare and Udonna, too." She paused, eyes widening. "Oh, Udonna. You don't know about Udonna yet."

"Know what?" he asked with a smirk. There was nothing she could tell him that she could tell him about the old witch that he wanted to or didn't know.

"Well... I only found out a few days ago, so don't freak out, okay?" He nodded, amused by her reluctance. "It's just, well... She's your mother." For a moment, he didn't react. The words just didn't mean anything to him. Then, as they sank in, a grin spread across his face. He didn't bother looking at her despite the long stare she was giving him.

"Yeah, right. That's a good one," he replied with a chuckle. Almost instantly, Maddie was standing in front of him, holding out a hand to prevent him from walking any further. Even though he could've easily walked around her or used magic, he let her otherwise insignificant gesture stop him.

"It's true," she stated firmly. "And even if you won't believe me, you can believe the absolute truth of magic, right?" He simply nodded, being forced to look into her eyes. They shone with honesty, and he knew he wouldn't need magic to know she was telling the truth. Still, it couldn't hurt, and he was curious as to what she had in mind. "Then search my mind for the truth. You'll be able to know if anything's been messed with."

Nodding again, he closed his eyes and began probing the layers of her mind. It didn't take long, as she pushed the memories to the surface, revealing the truth: Not only had Koragg once been good, and the Red Mystic before him, but he'd married Udonna, and they were his parents. Brief flashes of memory burst like fireworks across his vision, most of Phineas, Udonna and Maddie talking about it, all through Maddie's perspective. These facts were enough to throw him back into reality. His first sight was of Madison smirking at him.

"Believe me now?" He shook his head.

"If that's not a shock to the system... " he muttered, rubbing the back of his head distractedly. "For the record, I didn't not believe you. And so what if she's my mother? What's that really mean to everything? Besides the fact that she and Koragg hooked up."

"Well, she did give us her blessing," she responded with a playful smile, moving back to his side as they started walking again.

Returning the smile, he added, "That's good, seeing as I'm pretty sure Koragg doesn't approve of you." They exchanged smirks and chatted mindlessly for a while. Only after the fourth time her stomach growled did Maddie interrupt their small talk.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "Because I haven't had any lunch yet and I could go for some coffee cake. So do you want to? There's a bakery around the corner and I'm sure Underworld food isn't the greatest."

"Nah, it's not too bad. You can summon pretty much anything you want, even if it isn't four-star restaurant quality. But you aren't there to eat with, so this is a hundred times better." She blushed a bit as she guided him to a small shop just around the corner, windows lined with pastries of all types and sizes.

After ten minutes of jumping indecisively between a large square of crumbly coffee cake and a raspberry-filled, powdered sugar encrusted donut, she settled on the donut and flagged down the person behind the counter. She sauntered over and arched her eyebrows questioningly, waiting for Maddie's order while Nick still looked undecided about what to get. When he realized the young woman was staring at him, awaiting his choice, he grinned sheepishly and ordered a whipped cream filled chocolate long john. Before Maddie could protest, he'd pulled out his wallet and paid. He quickly snatched up both pastries and found them a clean table outside.

As soon as she had sat down, Maddie eagerly took her donut from his hands and nearly tore off the opaque wrapping. Her face lit up with pure joy as she bit into it, a pinkish-red jelly oozing around the corners of her mouth. Nick merely smiled and bit into his own pastry. She was so cute, even when there were little dabs of jelly around her lips.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, glancing away from her donut. Nick's vision snapped away from her suddenly. He hadn't even realized he was staring, but he smiled nonetheless.

"You," he answered, garnering yet another blush from her. Once he began talking, he couldn't stop the words from spilling out. "You're gorgeous. I can't help myself. Every day I wake up and wish you were there with me. The caverns could use your smile." Maddie blushed harder at the mental image of sharing a bed with him. Embarrassing as it was in public, she still found the idea appealing; she couldn't deny it. Just waking up next to his warm body, his strong arm draped over her waist, pressing the soft blue silk of her nightgown against her stomach, was intoxicating. She could almost feel his hard abs against her back...

Before she could become too lost in her fantasy, a question broke through her thoughts.

"Will you come back with me?" Nick asked, standing up and holding a hand out to her. She hadn't realized it, but they'd both finished their donuts in the time she'd spent imagining. Without much thought, she took his hand and stood up, his question pervading any other thought that appeared. When she turned her head to look at him, her eyes were met by his own, boring deep into her soul and prompting her to answer. She was becoming increasingly flustered by all this, trying to push the insistent thoughts of her and Nick sharing a bed and processing exactly what he had just asked of her.

"I - Well... I can- I, uhh... I don't know," she managed to sputter. He arched a questioning eyebrow.

"Maybe I'm just not paying attention, but I'm not sure if that's a yes or a no. Care to clarify?" Thoughts were flying through her mind at a thousand miles per minute. _How could I even be considering it?_ she mentally berated herself as thoughts of how it could be worked out whizzed in and out of her head.

"No, I - I can't," she finally managed, staring at her feet so he couldn't change her mind. As long as she didn't look at him, this would be ten times easier. He knew that and placed a hand gently under her chin, lifting her vision up to meet his as they stopped once again in the middle of the sidewalk.

"I thought you'd say that, and I understand why you can't. I just wish you would. We wouldn't even have to stay down there. We could go wherever we wanted and see the world." She shook her head weakly before he could dissolve what little resolution she had left.

"You know I can't. Mom and Dad and Vida would worry, and everyone else would too. And I think V would hunt us down." He sighed and looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he replied simply and remorsefully. "I shouldn't have even mentioned it. If you do come, I want it to be because you want to, not because I want you to. I just want to be able to see you every day and not be expected to fight you."

"You could always come back to us," she responded hopefully. He shook his head.

"You know I can't. My place is in the darkness, next to my father's side. I must remain loyal to him, even if I don't like it. It's my duty as his son and apprentice." Maddie's brow instantly furrowed, but her words were interrupted by an older man who bustled past them forcefully, muttering something about stupid teenagers. Only then did they realize that the sidewalk had become increasingly crowded since they stopped and that they were actually blocking part of it.

Nick sent the man a death glare that would've put Vida to shame and shouted, "Hey man, it's a free sidewalk! Why don't you get the stick out of your ass and give half a shit about others for a change?" The man only glanced back to give the couple a withering look, but he was distracted by his suit jacket suddenly catching fire. He leapt back, throwing the coat off and trying to stomp out the flames. While Nick stood back and snickered, Maddie mentally condensed the moisture in the air around them and directed it like a mini rainstorm to the jacket, dousing the flames. When she was sure that only a few smoldering embers remained, she turned back to Nick and smacked him hard on the chest.

"What the hell was that for?" He turned to look at her, grin falling away.

"Sorry," he apologized with a slight wince. "I guess I kind of lost control there."

"Kind of?" she nearly shouted. "He could've been killed!"

"But he wasn't! And besides, I don't kill, especially people who can't fight back. One of the many tenets that my father has beaten into me." She blew out a deep sigh and looked around.

"Look, let's just take this somewhere else, preferably where you can't give first-degree burns to civilians."

"If you insist," he replied tiredly, as if it were a chore. They ducked into an alley and took each other's hand, both shivering at the electric contact with each other. The couple disappeared into a spell seal without a word, reappearing instantly in the forest. Whether or not it was the forest that they as Rangers were used to, Maddie wasn't sure. She hadn't explored the entirety of it, but this seemed vaguely familiar.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking over herself. Magical clothes, so a magical dimension. She noticed that Nick's clothes had changed too, but into something different from his usual uniform. It wasn't terribly different, but it seemed odd on him. A dark red shirt had replaced his old white one, and the intricate inlay on his vest was done in the same crimson shade.

He turned to smile at her, replying, "The forest."

"Really? I've never seen this part before," she said, only a tad bit confused. While it did feel familiar, like the forest she was used to, there was something just a little different about it. There was a different magical air in this place.

Nick shook his head. "It's bigger than you think. Now come on." He began walking away from her, pulling the girl along by the hand. The pair ambled on for a little over a minute before Nick abruptly stopped. He turned to look at Maddie, a small smile on his face.

"This should be fine," he said. Maddie looked around where he had stopped them. It didn't look much different from the rest of the forest, save for the shimmer that everything seemed to have and a small bench positioned against a tree. Nick sat down on the cool marble, but Madison remained standing. Something was on her mind.

"So what is this training you keep mentioning? And being an apprentice?" she added, asking the two questions pestering her the most. His smile grew wider as he relaxed against the tree behind him and looked up at her.

"Come on, sit down," he said, patting the spot next to him. She obliged without hesitation, hoping it would prompt him to answer. He didn't immediately, instead running his eyes longingly over her face and body, and then out into space. It was obvious that he missed her terribly. You could tell just by the way he looked at her. Two weeks was too long, and their brief meeting a few days back didn't even come close to enough. If this kept up, he wasn't sure if the relationship could last. It was an awful thought, but it did carry a grain of truth. If things stayed the way they were, a relationship between them would only get harder to keep up as time went on.

Finally, he looked back at her and answered, "I'm training with my father to be a better warrior. As good as my training with Udonna was, it didn't even hold a candle to what I'm learning now. I'm a better swordsman, that's for sure, and I can block a Wolf Attack without trying. Took me a while and my fair share of bruises to get that down, though." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the ghosts of the injuries he'd acquired. Madison gave him a startled look.

"He's actually using attacks on you in training?" Nick merely shrugged off the question.

"It's the dark way. Learn and live, or fail and die," he stated, as if he'd heard the phrase many times. "As it is, he's training me to be a Knight. It's brutal, but I know it's worth it. I'm a hell of a lot stronger now than I was two weeks ago." He sighed and once again turned his vision out to space, lost in thought. Maddie wasn't quite done with him, though.

"So what are you planning on doing with this newfound power?" she asked, looking at him with quiet determination. He turned his head to look at her, a cheeky smile pushing the edges of his cheeks up.

"The same thing we try every week, Maddie: Try to take over the world!" He laughed maniacally until he felt her hand connect with the back of his head. "Hey!" His hand was instantly on the spot, giving her a hurt look.

"Oh, deal with it," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "And try to be serious."

"But I am. You know the whole shtick - we send a monster, you destroy it, we make it big, you kill it once and for all with a giant robot, begin again. Eventually one of us has to win, right? I'm training so that we will."

"But what will happen to all of us after that? Quick, painless deaths?" He had the good grace to look disgusted.

"No way. You're all living, I'll make sure of that. I'd fight Morticon himself for you and anyone you loved."

"... But you fight for any of them just because?" she asked, glancing away. It seemed like the longer he was under the power of the darkness, the more it edged into his personality. Make no mistake, he was still himself for the most part, but every time she saw him, it seemed like a little more darkness would creep out every so often before he took control of himself again. The very idea was troubling.

"It's not like that. I still want them alive - they _are_ still my friends, no matter what Vida or Leelee think - but I want you with me because I love you. I don't just want you alive, I want you next to me in our new world."

"And if I don't want to be next to you as you rule with an iron fist?" She seemed so serious about it, he couldn't help but laugh. "What?" she demanded as his giggles passed.

"I'm not going to be ruling anything," he answered, a laughing smile still spread across his face. "I'm just another warrior to Morticon, stronger than a Styxoid but not as good as he is. I doubt I'll be ruling anything. Koragg, maybe, but not me. I'll probably just travel around the world. And if you don't want to be with me through it, so be it. But I still won't let them kill you."

"How very noble of you," she replied, tone bordering on sarcastic. He only grinned.

"I do try my best."

Maddie tried her best to uphold her cold demeanor, but his playful grin and steady gaze soon melted it.

"So what now?" she asked, trying to remain as distant as possible.

"You're so cute when you're being serious," he responded distractedly. She could feel his gaze taking in her every feature, but fought the urge to meet it with her own. "Oh, come on," he cajoled after a moment. "I won't bite." Unable to resist any longer, she let her gaze drift up to his own. The colors had changed once again, both the red and green of a more vivid shade and seemingly fighting for domination. It was strangely enticing, and Madison was drawn to them more than ever. Turmoil raged in their depths, anyone could see that, but there was something more: Fear. Fear of what he was becoming. Part of him was afraid of the darkness that seemed to slowly be eating away at him.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked with a smile, breaking through her thoughts enough for her to see more than just his eyes, but him as a whole. Somehow, the darkness added a sexier edge to what she'd already seen as nigh-perfection, and it drew her in.

Before she could stop herself, she'd pulled him into a kiss, hands running through his hair. He was instantly into it, twining his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. The kiss deepened without question, her hands roaming closer to his face as they hit first base. Time no longer existed and everything else became irrelevant as they made out, too lost in each other to even care about passing first base. Just being so close was breathtaking, setting thousands of new nerve endings alight with passion.

Days, weeks, months or years could've passed without them even realizing, but it all came to a screeching halt when a rumbling laughter filled their minds. They tore apart, Maddie clutching each side of her head in pain and Nick simply looking irritated.

'_What do you want, Koragg?'_ he asked, entirely pissed by the constant interruptions while kissing Madison.

'_You, of course,'_ his father growled in response. _'What else have I ever wanted?'_

'_Me dead, maybe?'_ Maddie interjected, herself not happy with the virtual mind rape the older man seemed to enjoy whenever the couple found some alone time. His snickers echoed through their minds.

'_Alas, I doubt I'll ever achieve that. My son is fiercely protective of you. But you are not my reason for intrusion. Nickolaus is.'_

'_What do you want?'_ he asked again, anger snowballing rapidly. The way his father talked to Madison didn't sit well with the young man.

'_Simply you. You have been on the surface for far too long. Your training must continue. Return, or I shall retrieve you myself.'_

He was gone in a flash, leaving vague echoes of himself in their minds. Nick was the first to speak, turning to Maddie with a regretful smile on his face.

"I have to go," he said simply, fully apologetic about it all. She smiled back faintly despite the sudden headache she'd developed.

"It's okay," she answered lightly. "I understand. I guess this is goodbye for now, then?" The sadness in her face was maddening to him, only increasing his repressed, paternally-directed anger.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Goodbye," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before being taken away by a spell seal.

Madison sat dazedly on the bench for a few more minutes. If she concentrated, she could still where his lips had touched her skin ever so gently. Over and over, she replayed the moment in her head, hoping that maybe it wasn't really over and that her mind was just making up crazy possibilities as they still kissed. When she finally tore herself away from what she knew truly were fantasies, she stood up and nearly feel through a tree back to Briarwood.

Mentally trying to gather herself, she stood in front of the tree and gazed at Nick's bike parked there. She'd ridden it into work again despite the fact that she didn't have the proper legal qualifications to do so. She figured she'd just use magic on anyone who found out or cared enough to bother her about it. Not exactly ethical, but she wasn't in the mood to care. The past couple of weeks hadn't been great and she'd been feeling the strange inclination to disregard rules more often, though she usually chalked the feeling up to stress, which she was fairly sure wasn't ending anytime soon.

As emotionally and mentally gathered as she could make herself, she began the walk back over to work and the inquisition she was about to face.

* * *

Koragg stood alone in the Pit, awaiting his son's arrival. His wait wasn't long though, as he sensed the boy coming rapidly toward him. Just in time, he whipped around to narrowly block a blow from Nick's sword with his own.

"What the hell is your problem?" the young man shouted, attempting to strike his father again with the sword he wielded. The older man, now fully aware of his son's presence and intentions, easily deflected the blows, which didn't carry enough strength to take him out as it was. Over their last ten-odd training sessions, the boy's sword had gradually changed. Every time they dueled, it would grow a bit longer and wider, more akin to Koragg's own now. Though its slow change had allowed Nick to adjust, he was still more accustomed to his thinner, lighter sword, and he wasn't a great swordsman yet. The change in weight didn't help with his aim, either.

Koragg smirked behind his helmet. "I am not the one seeing a light witch." Nick's swings came harder now, a more furious edge to his actions.

"Who I see is none of your goddamned business! I'm not just going to jump because you tell me to. I am not your fucking pawn!"

"You are my son and you shall obey me." Koragg was actually fighting back now, trading blows and easily deflecting Nick's.

"You know I'll only obey you if I agree with it, and you have absolutely no say in my relationship with Madison." He swung in a quick arc toward Koragg's head, but the older man saw it coming and ducked it, swinging his own sword in the fraction of a second that Nick spent trying to control his sword's added weight. It connected solidly with his son's right leg, pushing both out from underneath the boy, who suddenly found himself looking at a blade descending upon his face. He managed to stop the blade in time using his own. The pair were frozen like this for a moment before Koragg stood back, sheathed his sword and offered a hand to his panting son.

"You are progressing well," he stated with a tiny grin. Nick took the outstretched hand and slowly stood himself up. "You are using your anger to its full potential and channeling it well. You shall be a Dark Knight in no time." The young man rolled his eyes and brushed some dust off of his cape.

"You're one helluva son-of-a-bitch, you know that, right?" he asked before promptly stomping off, sword vanishing without a thought. As pissed as he was, the entire thing had still been a rush. He hadn't had much time to come down from the feeling he got from being with Maddie, and the sword fight had only pushed it further. Right now, he felt like he could do anything.

As he started coming down, he found his feet leading him to a part of the Underworld he had yet to explore. It didn't look too much different from the other parts he'd seen, save for the dark red candles that sat on every outcropping of rock, giving the halls a feeling of dizzying motion as the flames swayed. Every room he came across was empty, only occupied by thousands of candles lining the walls. If Nick hadn't been a fire elemental, the insane heat radiating from the walls would've been unbearable. Instead, he felt completely at ease knowing that his element was all around him at any time.

He suddenly found that the hall had ended, leading into a large cavern. On one side sat a throne flanked by several tall candelabra with black candles burning brightly atop each of them. On the opposite side of the room was a simple archway, much like the one he'd just exited. Curious as to what it led to and already tired of this throne room, the second one he'd seen today, he entered this new room without hesitation. Immediately to his right was another small room, devoid of candles unlike the others. Only a few lonely bats hung around the top. With nothing else of interest to occupy him in there, he kept walking. It didn't take him long before he'd found another room, this one much more interesting.

A black wire frame bed stood against the opposite wall, a dark violet comforter smoothed against the top. Aside from that and a large hawthorn dresser, everything seemed so out of place in the Underworld. Bands posters lined the walls, bright colors clashing against the dark stone. A desk topped by a computer sat idly to his left, while only a chair and floor lamp adorned the right side. Nick had no idea who such a room could belong to for a moment. Then, as someone behind him cleared their throat, it clicked.

"Just the man I was looking for," Leelee said.

* * *

_A/N_ - Oh, wow. Finally. Sorry for the wait, you guys. Between set construction for the school play I'm in, school, babysitting and crazy birthday parties, I haven't had much time to type. I'm finally done with this chapter, though, and I hope you love it. It ended up being longer than I'd intended, but that's not a bad thing. I broke 100 pages on Word, and 400 on paper.

Thanks everyone for the reviews. It's great seeing those in my inbox. The last chapter actually had more than twenty, which I find exciting for some weird reason. Dunno why. I'm just weird like that.

On a personal note, I turn sixteen this Thursday. I absolutely can't wait to get my license. I already have a car (a 97 Hyundai Elantra), and I have all of my state required hours behind the wheel. Yay for me!

Anyway, I hope you all in America are enjoying your Labor Day weekend. I know I am. Until next time (which should start the beginning of the end). Peace!


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Nick cringed slightly, but quickly arranged his features back to a passive look, neither smiling nor frowning, and turned to look at her.

"This your room?" he asked, pointing a thumb back even though he already knew the answer. How could this not be her room? Not only was she the only teenage girl in the Underworld, and this was most certainly the room of a teenage girl, but everything about it just screamed 'Leelee'.

She nodded and moved past him into the mysteriously well lit room.

"My own personal happy space in this dump," she answered brightly. Glancing around at her belongings lovingly, she sat down on her bed. "So what exactly were you doing here?" He smiled lightly and took a seat on a chair in the corner opposite her bed.

"I just got a little lost in thought and ended up wandering down here. Believe me, I'd rather be wandering up there -" He pointed upwards, indicating the surface world "- but my father prefers to be an ass about it. He doesn't understand why I hate being trapped here, but you know how boring it can be." She replied only with a nod, understanding better than he could how excruciating the boredom could be after nearly eighteen years worth of experience. "Somehow, my aimless wandering landed me here," he added as an afterthought, not really meant to affect the conversation any.

"I'm glad it did," she said with a grin. "You're, like, the only person I like talking to down here. I don't have to hide anything and, best of all, you're human."

"My father's human, too," he responded despite the slight hints of sadness in her voice. She wrinkled her nose.

"He doesn't count. He's always in morph down here. And besides, he's way too old to talk to."

"True," laughed Nick. The two shared a moment of silence before he asked, "So how did your plan go over with the pumphead?" Leelee had the unfortunate luck of Morticon catching wind of a plan she'd been formulating, and the general had demanded she explain it to him before going through with it. The vampire princess' face lit up at the mention of it.

"He actually liked it. Mom and Koragg just stood around and scowled, but Morticon actually liked it. He wants me to start it as soon as possible." Nick nodded, vaguely surprised. Morticon was known for shooting down ideas presented to him for little to no reason; it explained why the armies of darkness could go weeks without a major attack. Everyone who knew anything in the Underworld knew to avoid explaining anything to the Morlock and push forward with their plans, at least until they'd succeeded in some way. You only ever went to him when you required his assistance or he'd found out and demanded to be informed. For him to like a plan right off the bat was highly unusual.

"So what is this plan exactly?" he asked, interest piqued by the fact that even Morticon approved of it. "I know you mentioned a flytrap and getting my friends to join us."

"That's exactly why I wanted to see you, actually," she answered with a broad grin. "You're totally going to love my idea. It'll get all of your friends down here in one way or another."

"And... ?" He gave her an inquiring and slightly impatient look.

"Well, for one thing, it's not just any flytrap I'm talking about, it's the Flytrap," she stated as if he was stupid for not knowing the difference when she'd only mentioned it in passing. "Flytrap is this monster thing that can turn people into vampires. I had this idea that he could turn into his human form and hypnotize people - that's his other power, hypnotizing people - and then turn them into vampires. Then we'd have our own little army, and even a few of your friends." A smile that told of how incredibly pleased with herself she was spread over her features.

"And how does he turn people into vampires exactly? I thought that was your mom's thing."

"Easy. Mom gave him the power - that's a vampire queen thing, giving other people her powers through blood - but can still make her own personal servant vampires. And that's where your friends come in. When they're hypnotized, she turns them into her own servants so they can walk in the sunlight like her and all that. Then they can join us down here forever."

"And how are they going to turn them? I'm pretty sure it's still suspicious to stop strangers and hypnotize them."

"You ask some really stupid questions, you know? We'll just mask the whole thing as a party at a club. Flytrap is going to be the DJ and Mom'll turn your friends once they're hypnotized." He nodded in understanding as it started to come together, but one question still stuck out to him.

"How are we going to get them there? They won't exactly take an invitation from you now. And that's beside the fact that Chip and Madison aren't exactly the club-going types. Hell, Xander hardly is." She shook her head lightly, recently applied waves dancing around her cheeks.

"Just leave that to me. I'll get at least one of them there."

"Leave Madison out of this whole plot, though," he replied, shooting the vampire princess a warning glare. "I'm not going to hesitate to kill anyone or anything that even tries touching her. I want her to come down here willingly." He paused, an idea striking him. "Although, if we were to have some sort of incentive that could lure her here, like, say, a sister, she'd be here of her own free will and my magic might be able to turn her... " Leelee mentally rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. I'll try to get Vida down here, but I can't promise anything. And I won't touch your girlfriend," she said, a particular venom wrapped itself around the last word. "Just let me handle everything and we'll have some new friends down here in no time."

* * *

"Aw, come on you guys," Vida pleaded, shaking a flyer hopefully in front of herself. "Won't any of you go with me?" Xander scurried past her, barely making it to the counter with an overly large box. He shook his head at her again.

"I already told you, V, Toby wants me to close up tonight. I can't." Chip, too, shook his head as he loaded some vinyls onto their respective shelves.

"I can't either. I promised Udonna I'd drop by to work on the Fire Heart scroll some more. And besides," he added with a goofy grin, "you know clubs like that don't like me. The last one tried to kill me." Vida arched her eyebrows and let a tiny grin play on her lips.

"Chip, that was in seventh grade, and it was only a fan." He still shook his head.

"Sorry, Veed. Clubs just aren't my thing, and I can't bail on Udonna." Sighing resignedly, the Pink Ranger turned to her sister. Madison didn't look up at first, busy taking stock of the DVDs.

"Will you please go with me? There's going to be this awesome new DJ there."

Maddie, not looking up from her clipboard, answered, "How do you know he's awesome if he's new?"

"I just have this feeling, like it's going to be exciting," Vida said, desperately trying to explain the nagging compulsion to go to her twin. "So will you go?" Maddie, making a note of the number of DVDs on that particular shelf, stood up and sighed.

"I'm going to have to go with Chip on this one, sis. Clubs are more your thing than mine." Vida looked pleadingly at her sister, but the Blue Ranger refused to recant her statements. "I just don't want to go, V. I have the feeling that I shouldn't, kind of like the feeling you have that tells you to go. I'm just going with my gut." The younger twin proceeded past her sister to leave the tally on Toby's desk and managed to catch the fleeting pout on Vida's face, making her smile.

"Fine," the Sprite said, looking between her friends and sister with both determination and resignation. "I'll go alone. Call me if you need me, though." The other three nodded and exchanged goodbyes with her as she pulled on her leather jacket and left. None of them knew of the powerful chain of events the young woman was about to set in motion, and thought nothing of her quiet departure.

* * *

"_Please don't ever leave me again," she whispered into his chest, arms wrapped around his neck so that he couldn't even if he wanted to._

"_I won't," he whispered back simply. She snuggled closer to his warm chest just in case, grinning despite herself. His arms slowly moved up to her shoulders and pushed her back enough to look into her surprised eyes._

"_What are you doing?" she choked out, fearing the worst. He simply smiled and placed a finger on her lips._

"_I'm not leaving you," he answered. "I've been wanting to do this -" He placed a quick kiss on her lips. "- and it's really hard to do when you're that close." She blushed hard and giggled, loving the playful joy in his eyes._

"_Well, let me return the gift." Her eyes sparkled with the same giddiness as she planted a peck on his lips. As she came back down, he gave her a sly grin._

"_Hey now... " he said, moving one arm to her lower back and the other between her shoulder blades. Before she could realize it, he'd lowered her into a dip and was passionately kissing her on the lips, distracting her from the bright red birds flying through the water around them. It quickly escalated to full-on French kissing and... _

WHAM!

Madison sat straight up in her bed, trying to gather herself after that dream. It had been so vivid, and she found herself desperately wishing it had been real even as the details trickled away.

Glancing blearily around, her brain began to register exactly what was going on. From the light pouring faintly in through her window, it couldn't have been any later than five or maybe six in the morning. The noise that had awoken her had come from what was now behind her. That was... Oh, thank god.

She jumped out of bed, not bothering to throw a robe on over her pale blue tank top and pastel red and pink striped boxer shorts. Scampering to the bedroom next to her own, she met her parents at the doorway. They too had been jarred from their sleep by the noise. Without a word they all entered the room and were met by the sight of Vida collapsed on her bed haphazardly. Their mom was instantly next to the girl, a hand on her forehead. The elder woman furrowed her brow.

"She feels so clammy," she murmured, leaning closer to Vida's face. "Are you okay, honey?" It took an anxious moment, but Vida nodded.

"I'm fine, mom. Just had a crazy night at a club."

"You weren't drugs, were you?" her father asked sternly, while her mother gave her a wary and fearful look. Vida responded in the negative.

"No, dad. No drugs. Just a lot of dancing." Her father nodded in acceptance.

"Good. Now, do you have any idea how late, or early, it is? Your mother and I have been beyond worried." Vida smiled weakly, looking strange against her pale skin.

"Sorry, dad. I just lost track of time. You know how I can get lost in the music," she added, laughing a bit. "Anyway, could we maybe do this later? I know I'm exhausted, and I'm sure you'd all love to get back to sleeping." The two parents exchanged a glance and nodded slowly a moment later, earning a small smile from the barely elder twin. They both retreated from the room after placing a kiss apiece on her forehead, leaving Maddie to lean dazedly in the doorway alone.

Something about Vida seemed off to her. Maybe it was just the glint of creeping in through her window or the early morning lack of sleep addling her thoughts, but something was wrong with her twin. She could feel it.

"You okay, sis?" Vida's question startled her out of her thoughts. Maddie snapped her eyes to her sister and, with a tired sigh, forced a smile.

"I'm fine," she answered, shaking her head."Just lost in thought."

"You'd better get some sleep. It'd be pretty hard to save the world if you're too tired." Maddie nodded now and murmured a quick goodnight to her twin. Even as she snuggled back between her sheets and drifted back into unconsciousness, she couldn't shake the strange vibes Vida was giving off, haunting her even into her brief dreams.

* * *

Chip could tell that there was something wrong with Vida from the moment she walked into work four hours late. Eleven-ish years of friendship had taught him more than enough of what she was normally like, and this was not it. Everything from her pale skin to her less than together demeanor gave away just how wrong she was. He couldn't pin down exactly what was going on to change her so, but something in the back of his mind was begging to be recognized.

When he'd asked Madison if she knew what was wrong with her sister, she'd admitted that she had the feeling something strange was going on. All she knew beyond her gut feeling was that Vida had gotten home incredibly late (or early, depending on your viewpoint) and had seemed tired and pale. She'd then asked him if he knew anything, but he told her that all he knew was that he'd gotten the same bad feeling she had. Even Xander commented on the small peculiarities he'd noticed from time to time, most often how she could be completely peaceful and content behind her turntables one minute, and restlessly finding jobs for herself around the shop the next.

Later, when they'd been called away from work to defend a small forest village from a random Hidiac attack, the whole mess became even more strange. Instead of beating down the roving pack of zombies with a combination of recently learned fighting techniques and magic, Vida managed to single-handedly beat them without magic. While the other two had been momentarily stunned, Chip had been busy working out what was going on. Amazing feats of strength, reckless daring, pale skin, random personality fluctuations, staying out all night, each alone a not-so-weird coincidence, but all together... It all seemed to point to one thing, one of his strange specialties that Vida liked to tease him about. All he had to do was prove it.

So here he was, anxiously waiting for his friend to walk into Rootcore. After the battle, he'd silently gone back to work with the others and rushed home once his shift had ended to pick up his kit. Now he was sitting at the central table in their headquarters, kit hidden on the chair next to him. It was like any other study session at their base, all present and quietly reading ancient tomes, save for Vida, who'd mysteriously vanished after her shift. No one knew where she'd been for the subsequent hours, and Madison in particular had become worried. It took occasional reassurances from Xander that the young Sprite could take care of herself and that she was probably just eating something, maybe resting a bit, having lost track of time. Every time the Green Wizard stated that Vida was fine, Chip felt less and less confident that she was.

Finally, Vida sauntered in, a sly smile on her face that didn't help the nervous butterflies dancing in Chip's stomach. He wasn't sure how he'd be received by his friends, or how Vida would react, and each moment that he couldn't go forward with his plan was both agony and relief.

"Hey, guys," said the latest arrival. Maddie had already slammed her book shut and was looking worriedly at her twin.

"Where have you been? You were supposed to be here almost two hours ago." Vida rolled her eyes, coming closer to her friends and leaning on the central table in a way that suggested this bored her.

"Oh, come on, it's not like you needed me. We protect the world and, if you haven't noticed, the world's still here."

"That's not the point, though. You told Udonna you'd be here," Maddie replied, disappointment, accusation and hints of fear lining her voice. Vida sighed.

"I'm sorry," she conceded, sincerely apologetic. "I made a promise and I messed up. I'm here now, though." Maddie gave her sister a small forgiving smile in spite of the peculiar vibes she was still getting from the other Rocca. Vida didn't sense the hesitancy behind her twin's smile and only reciprocated the expression in a much more exuberant way.

"Hey, you want to see my new pose? It came to me in a dream." Maddie nodded, as did Xander, both interested. Chip simply stared on, waiting for the perfect moment to execute his plan. Vida, not noticing the calculating gaze that she was receiving from Chip, grinned and pulled her right hand into a sideways 'V' next to her right eye.

"Ha!" she shouted as she did the move, startling Xander slightly and making Maddie's smile a little bigger. Though Chip outwardly smiled, something in his mind fell into place. He'd seen that pose before. As it clicked just who he'd seen it on, he nearly whooped in glee. Yet another hit for his theory.

A lull fell over the room as Xander tried to save face after being so shocked by a single shout, Maddie simply smiled and relaxed a bit, Vida chuckled and Chip saw his opportunity. Seizing a nigh-full goblet from what had been (and still was, he reminded himself) Nick's chair and approaching Vida, a sly grin crossed his face.

"After such an exciting day, you must be very thirsty," he said, holding forward the goblet, brimming with a thick crimson liquid. Vida's eyes widened almost comically at the sight, seemingly transfixed. He held it out seductively, smirk growing wider as her hands came up to intercept it. She moved forward so dazedly it was like she didn't realize she was moving at all. A stunned hunger seemed to consume her as she took the cup and let the crimson liquid splash over her lips. Chip couldn't hold back his boisterous, knowing smile as she spat it out a moment later.

"What is this junk?" she asked angrily, wiping some from the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand.

Chip put on a pouty expression and responded, "Aww, did you think it was blood?" Ignoring the frightened look Vida gave him, he turned to respond to Xander and Madison's questioning stares. "Imitation blood. It comes with a premium membership to COUNTV, which I happen to be a card-carrying member of." He proudly flashed his signed, stamped and authenticated card to them. Maddie only furrowed her brow, trying to work everything out.

"COUNTV?"

"Containment of Underworld Nocturnal Transylvanian Vampires," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Ah. And that's why you gave my sister fake blood?" Maddie asked. She wasn't entirely convinced, but she had a pretty good idea of what Chip was getting at. Whether or not she believed it, it did explain Vida's weird behaviour. "Do you really think she's a vampire?"

"How could she not be? Pale skin, erratic behaviour, thirst for blood, all telltale signs of vampirism." While Madison found herself starting to believe her eccentric friend, Xander merely chuckled and shook his head.

"Vida, a vampire? That's a good one," he said with a grin. Seeing Xander laughing, Vida joined in.

"Nice theory, Chip, but if I really was a vampire, how'd I walk in the sunlight?" This question caught him completely off-guard. Vida was right. How _did_ she walk in the sunlight? He had been absolutely sure that she was a vampire, but that threw a wrench in everything. It was impossible, unless - The idea hit him hard and fast. Unless she'd been turned by a queen. That was the only way.

"If the Queen turned you, you'd be able to walk in the sunlight all you want," he stated. Barely catching the brief flash of surprise on her face, he smirked, knowing that he'd nailed it. It didn't even register to him how much worse this made the whole situation, merely that he'd been right and vampires were real.

"Yeah, sure," Xander responded, still smiling. "I think you've been reading too many comic books again, mate." Vida nodded along, like this was all one big joke to her. Maddie simply stared on, contemplating Chip's theory. She didn't want to believe it, but a little part of her knew how right it sounded.

"Anyway," Xander began, interrupting the silence that had befallen the group, "I have to get home. Mum's expecting me by nine." Grabbing his bag from a nearby chair, he exchanged goodbyes with everyone and jogged out of the base, knowing that he would only make home in time if he all but sprinted and desperately wishing that Udonna taught time magic. Of the many times he'd asked to learn, only one had he received more than a "No," and this was only an explanation that it was no longer practiced and quite the hazard to the time-space continuum and fabric of reality, or something that to that effect. He'd zoned out somewhere around the "No" part.

For the next half hour, the remaining three Rangers studied in near silence, Chip and Maddie occasionally giving Vida appraising glances. She caught them once or twice, but only arched her eyebrows at them in a "Yes?" gesture, prompting them to quickly look away.

Finally, when she began to get sleepy, mesmerized by all the words that she could barely read anymore, Maddie stood up and grabbed her own royal blue messenger bag, stuffing a few books into it.

"Going already?" Vida asked. "The night's still young." Maddie smiled tiredly and shook her head.

"And yet I'm already sleepy. I'm not the night owl you are, so I need to head home while I can still teleport to the right place." She and Vida hugged and she shared a quick goodbye hug with Chip before she began to exit. Halfway to the door, she paused and looked back at her twin. "You will be home before tomorrow morning, won't you?"

"Of course I will. Chip'll make sure of it, won't you, Chip?" She nudged her friend, seemingly lost in thought. He immediately snapped back to reality, nodding despite the fact that he had no idea what they were talking about. Vida laughed good-naturedly and Maddie smiled, adding a yawn to the end.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you at home later," the Blue Witch added after her yawn had subsided. Vida gave her another quick goodbye as the girl walked out, receiving a wave for a reply. As the whole of her twin disappeared from the doorway, Vida slowly turned her gaze back to the book before her, but Chip could tell that she wasn't reading. Intense thought seemed to consume her, like a private war was going on behind those light blue eyes. Finally, resolution flickering across her features, she spoke up.

"You know, Chip, you were right," she began, biting her lip hesitantly. "I am a vampire." He froze, attempting to simultaneously process this information and tensing up for the impending attack. Only when he felt nothing did he relax a bit, realizing that there was much more than animal hunger in her words. They carried more of a sadness, a silent wish that it wasn't true paired with the knowledge that it was.

"V. . ." was all he managed to get out before he was up and rifling through his kit. "I can help you," he said as he sat a book on the table while still looking through his leather briefcase-like kit, "but I need you to tell me something first - did the Queen turn you?"

For a second, she was quiet, replying playfully a moment later, "Yeah, yeah, she did." He could almost hear the smirk in her voice, the complete slight change in her demeanor, and instinctively wrapped his hand around the handle of a garlic clove.

"Then this is going to be a lot harder." He could feel her stalking up behind him with his perfectly honed senses, trained specifically to detect vampires, doing a quick one-eighty as she lunged at him. She recoiled for a moment before her resistence kicked in, but that gave her enough time to push her humanity back into control.

"Sorry," she replied pitifully, glancing at him as the fierce pink faded out of her eyes. "I can't really help it, if it's any consolation. You know I'd never attack you willingly." He gave her a small, knowing smile, one that alone conveyed the length and depth of their friendship.

"I know you wouldn't, V. You've always been there to protect me, and you always will be but, but now it's my turn to protect you. If there's one thing I can help with, it's a vampire problem." He reached back into his case and, holding out his garlic out distractedly as she attempted to assault him yet again, asked, "When did you get turned?"

"At the club the other night, I think," she answered, relaxing back into her spot as her humanity took over again and screwing her face up in thought. "I remember the music being really hypnotic and then... " Her eyes glazed over at the mere thought of such powerful music.

Chip didn't look up from his kit, only prompting, "And... ?" After another second, she snapped out of it, eyes darting around to reassure her that she was indeed still at Root Core.

"... And then I remember stumbling through my front door at five in the morning." A puzzled look overtook her face as she paused, trying to grasp at the memory of the hours in between, dancing ever so mockingly just beyond her grasp. She could feel the lost hours dangling closer and closer to her mental reach and, as a few fluttered into her mind, a stabbing pain ran through her mind. She moaned and pressed the backs of her wrists to her temples, mind engulfed in a snippet of memory.

"_I shall be your mistress now," Necrolai stated haughtily. "Repeat that to me."_

"_I shall be your mistress now," Vida droned, earning herself a disgusted frown and a slap on the cheek._

"_You foolish witch. Tell me that I am your mistress."_

_Vida, straightening herself and remaining otherwise unresponsive to the abuse, complied._

"_You are my mistress now." The vampire queen laughed and stroked Vida's hair._

"_Good pet. Now go bring me more of your Ranger friends."_

Vida gasped as the flash of memory ended, along with the pain, and found Chip staring worriedly at her, eyebrows arched.

"What is it?" he questioned.

"Just a bit of last night, I guess," she replied, shaking her hand and suddenly baring her fangs. Chip held up the garlic without thought, prompting her to elaborate as she regained herself.

"Necrolai was there, and she made me call her mistress," the young witch said with utter disgust, the very thought of doing such a thing repulsive in every way. "And then she told me to bring her more Rangers." While he contemplated this, she shook her head again, as if that could dislodge more flashes of memory.

"That means that this wasn't just some random attack because she saw an opportunity. This was all planned. She got you, and now she's gunning for the rest of us." Vida creased her brow, trying as best as she could to pull up another memory that floated just out of her reach, and frowned slightly. A cackling laugh filled her mind as another tiny bit freed itself and surged to the top.

"You are quite lucky, you know. While the others will perish in the sunlight come my order, you will survive as my eternal servant. While they remain Flytrap's creatures, you are my own and therefore have all of my strengths. You will live as Flytrap orders his servants to destroy Briarwood and themselves." Necrolai traced a pointed fingernail along the girl's cheek. "Does this please you?"

"_Yes," she replied vacantly. The vampire queen snarled and slapped her servant, not for the first time that night. Vida's head twisted to the side sharply, staying frozen in the position for a second before shifting back._

"_That will not do, not at all. Now tell me, what is my title, witch?" Necrolai asked, malice dripping from her last word._

"_You are my mistress." Though the words were void of any inflection, Necrolai still clapped her hands together gleefully._

"_Good servant. I am your mistress, and I always shall be." She paused, a horrific smile crossing over her demonic features. "Now, go. Bring me your friends, but do not touch your sister. My daughter and the Red Wizard ordered that she be left alone, and we shall do such until our opportunity arises. She will be ours eventually, as will the entire world."_

"Oh no," she murmured as the memory faded back into the ether. Chip's look instantly shifted to that of concern.

"What is it?" he asked, setting his free hand gently on her shoulder while gripping the garlic readily in his other.

"She's using this monster to turn people into vampires and she's going to use them to overrun the city. When the sun comes up, they'll all die."

"So not only do we have a vampire queen to deal with, but there's a monster we have to beat, otherwise tons of people will die?" She nodded, garnering a sigh from her friend. "Sounds like we have one heck of a night ahead of us then," he added with a smile. Vida too smiled despite the situation, always cheered up by Chip's nigh-giddy outlook. They exchanged growing smiles, caught in a private moment aside from all the other troubles around them.

"Sooo... What now?" Vida asked as the moment passed into memory.

A sly grin crossing over his face, Chip answered, "I think it's time we crash a club."

* * *

"Chip Thorn, you know you shouldn't have done that." Even through the lingering pain in his abdomen, he grinned.

"That is what you keep telling me," he replied, wincing as he turned to look at the driver of the car he was currently a passenger in. Vida kept glancing between him and the road, and her divided attention was definitely showing. Already, an older couple in a Buick had swerved to avoid the black Jeep's erratic driving and it was looking like they wouldn't be the last. The occasional shifts between human and vampire weren't exactly facilitating outstanding driving either.

Her concern only reinforced Chip's knowledge that he'd made the right decision, though. He would take a hit for her any day. She'd been his best friend since kindergarten, the only one to defend the weird kid in a cape, and they'd been inseparable since that day. Anything he could do to return her original protection was done without hesitation.

That was how he'd ended up in the front seat as she drove, clutching his left side despite the dissipating pain. They may have escaped the club, not without their share of bruises, but Flytrap and Necrolai were still out there. Chip wasn't sure how to destroy Necrolai, or if he even could, but Flytrap would be a piece of cake. He was just your run-of-the-mill, powers for the occasion monster that every Ranger team faced many a time. Vida had made the call ahead to Madison and Xander; both were on their way to the heart of downtown Briarwood. It was there that Vida had sensed the army of vampires created by Flytrap amassing and awaiting their chance to wreak havoc and die.

It wasn't long before they'd reached their destination, meeting the already morphed Xander and Madison. The latter pair ran over to the Jeep as Chip stepped out gingerly and Vida shut off the engine. Under her helmet, Madison frowned.

"Are you okay?" she asked Chip, lightly touching the hand that still gripped his aching side. He glanced down at it and smiled.

"It's nothing. Just a little incident at the club." When she gave him a look that he could tell was questioning, he merely shook his head. "I'll tell you later." Though his words didn't end her worry, she held back anything further. There would be time to mother him later.

"So what exactly is going on?" Xander asked. "It is the middle of the night, you know."

"Oh, can it. We've got bigger problems than your beauty sleep right now," Vida ribbed, only half joking. The two shared a brief grin before turning back to the business at hand.

"So what are we here for?" Maddie inquired, looking around for any sign of trouble.

"Well, Vida sensed Flytrap and his horde of vampires here. We need to dest-" Xander held up a hand, halting the young man who'd suddenly taken charge.

"Wait, wait, wait - his _vampires_? Are you telling me that this whole vampire kick you're on right now is actually real?"

"Is it really that hard to believe?" reasoned Chip. "Our enemies are zombies, cyborgs, knights and a bat lady that happens to be the Queen of the Vampires."

"Point taken."

"Anyway, as I was saying, we have to destroy Flytrap before sunrise or all of his vampires will turn into dust while they rampage."

"You mentioned Vida sensing them here," Maddie stated. "How?" Vida and Chip exchanged a glance that you would've sworn carried telepathic thought, then looked back at Maddie.

"Vida's kind of one of them. In fact -"Chip snuck a look at his watch. "- it's almost time for... " Out of the blue, Vida bared her fangs and lunged at the redheaded youth, to which he responded by casually holding up a garlic clove. "...that." Xander and Madison gave the pair strange looks, only to be returned by sheepish shrugs.

"All part of the gig," Vida said nonchalantly, repositioned the hem of her shirt as if this was a regular occurrence. "Anyway, I'd like to get this party started. The faster we deal with this Flytrap, the faster we can deal with Necrolai and I can go back to not being a bloodthirsty creature of the night."

"Then you won't have to look far, Rangers," came a voice from her right. The quartet whipped around toward it, their eyes met by exactly what they'd expected: a freakish looking monster, a handful of Hidiacs and an army of Briarwood's turned youth.

"You guys ready for this?" Vida asked, looking to her friends. They all nodded, Xander and Madison leaping into the battle with the approaching zombies and vampires, while Chip and Vida flipped open their wands.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

"Magical source, Mystic Force!" Two bright flashes of pink and yellow momentarily replaced the pair, and then faded away, leaving only two morphed teens. They leapt into battle alongside the Green and Blue Rangers, who'd already killed most of the Hidiacs and incapacitated a handful of the vampiric teens. When the last few zombies had fallen, the team turned to the remaining vampires, knocking some out and trapping others. It took nearly fifteen minutes to get them all due to the sheer number of them and Flytrap starting a fight with one of the Rangers every so often.

When the last few teens had been captured, KO'd or otherwise put out of danger, the Mystic Force turned to Flytrap. Knowing that they'd need more than magic and fighting skill to defeat him, Chip summoned his MagiStaff crossbow and the others followed suit. All was normal, a line or two of witty banter crossing the air, until Maddie actually looked at her wand and let out a short gasp.

"What the... " she murmured holding out her MagiStaff for all to see. While usually she and Vida's remained in their Staff form, a fact that Vida had ranted about for many hours until Maddie had asked her to name one weapon associated with air, Maddie's too had changed into another form alongside the guys'. Much like Xander's, the legs of the Mystic Force symbol had turned upside-down, tips becoming more pointed and sides more rounded, and a third prong had emerged from the center, slightly longer than the other two. Her blue mermaid crystal now lay at the base where each point curved and met.

Vida frowned at her sister's new weapon, very obviously a trident, but her complaints were ceased by the stars that flashed before her eyes as she found herself face down on the ground. Flytrap stood laughing at what had been her left, pleased by his actions.

"Stupid Rangers," he rumbled. "Do you not want to fight?" As Vida pushed herself up, still mildly stunned by the blow to the head, Xander, Chip and Madison shot the monster acid glares.

"Don't you dare touch my sister," Madison spat, a light coating of red tainting her vision. While the trident wasn't something she was skilled, let alone familiar, with, that really didn't seem to matter right now. It seemed alive, ready to finally be used and attack something, and she wasn't about to deny it that pleasure.

"How will you stop me, little mermaid? With your new weapon? Ha!" His derisive peals of laughter only made her more furious, and even Vida's light touch on the shoulder couldn't quell it.

"Wanna get him, sis?" the Pink Ranger asked, a new hatred for this creature burning in her voice. Maddie gave her twin a short nod, paired with a feisty smile, and the two leapt into battle. Their sudden actions caught Flytrap by surprise, giving Vida time to throw him back with a hurricane-force wind. Maddie launched herself at his form, struggling to remove itself from the wall it had been partially embedded in, and used as much force as she could muster to swing her weapon in a stabbing motion directed toward his gut. He managed to deflect the blow just barely by throwing his arms up and pushing away. The Blue Ranger was sent into a tumbling roll, ending up on her side but quickly on her feet again.

By now Xander and Chip had joined the conflict, the former swinging his axe in a wide curve at the creature's legs as the latter shot an arrow of lightning at the beast. While he managed to avoid Xander's attack, the bolt of lightning caught him squarely in the chest, sending him backwards and down in a twisting descent to the ground. He picked himself up quickly and captured Chip with his vine-like fingers. The young man struggled for a minute but went temporarily limp as Flytrap bashed him into a wall. Moments later, the assault lessened as Xander jumped in to protect his friend, hacking at the appendages. Maddie and Vida continually assaulted him from every other side, dividing his attention between the three of them.

After nearly a minute's worth of work, Xander managed to hack off the fingers on the right hand that were holding Chip, freeing the Garuda as he fell to the ground. He picked himself up quickly, brushing off the vines and catching his breath. Taking careful aim, as to not hit either of the girls, he fired the most potent bolt of lightning he could muster. It burned the air, leaving the scent of ozone as it connected with the beast, sending it thirty feet back.

As Flytrap struggled to stand again, the Rangers grouped back together, exchanging glances. In what could've been construed as telepathy by anyone who hadn't felt the Power or used magic, they seemed to communicate silently, mere gestures conveying thoughts.

After a matter of moments, Maddie stepped forward, their para-speech ended, partially inspired by the others' ideas and partially by her own instinct. She thrust her new weapon high above her head, placing her faith in the gut feeling it gave her and the power emanating from it. Taking a deep breath, she shouted, "By the powers of water!" On cue, a heavy rain began beating down on the scene with enough force to have actually hurt the Rangers if not for the protection of their suits.

Xander too stepped forward, standing on the opposite side of the monster. He held his axe skyward and shouted, "By the powers of earth!" Below them, a slight rumble shook the ground, but they stood steadfast.

Vida came next, following suit. She took her place halfway between Maddie and Xander and raised her wand to the sky as a burst of wind sent the rain pounding at an angle. "By the powers of air!"

Chip stepped into the final position, creating a diamond around Flytrap, who dove at the Yellow Ranger as if only now realizing the team's intentions. A wall of earth, rising from the ground, stopped the monster, allowing Chip the time to complete his phase of the attack. He held his crossbow up and, quite extravagantly, exclaimed, "By the powers of lightning!" A bright flash of light broke through the darkness and, destroying the fractional silence, was followed by a peal of thunder.

Finally, Maddie lowered her trident, aiming the points at the now fearful-looking monster. Knowing exactly what she had to do, she concentrated and called out, "By the powers of fire!" In synch, the others lowered their weapons to the same angle as Madison's.

"By the elements, you are destroyed!" they all said together. Bright light in each of their respective colors engulfed their weapons and grew by the minute. In Maddie's case, it was both red and blue, swirling around one another and blending in a fine purple line where they met.

Another fraction of a second later, these concentrated colors burst forward in individual beams of light. They connected to form a perfect plus sign between the four morphed teens, with Flytrap dead center. The creature was instantly a rainbow light show, sparking and shimmering in almost every color you could imagine as the lights crossed paths. Culminating in a bright white flash, the explosion rocked the unfaltering Rangers even as they about-faced. All that remained as the light subsided was Flytrap, falling face first onto the pavement and exploding in a series of small fireballs.

"Checkmate!" the four Rangers said in unison, snapping as a final explosion demolished anything of the monster that remained.

Immediately proceeding to the vampiric teens, who'd all collapsed as their master was destroyed, they helped up the conscious ones and put those who remained unconscious in the safest, most comfortable positions they could. When they'd sorted through all of them and explained exactly what was going on, sending the assorted youths home, the four Rangers sauntered tiredly back to Vida's Jeep, demorphing as they walked. There, the vehicle's owner looked to her sister and Xander.

"How'd you two get here?" she asked, suddenly aware of the lack of another automobile. Xander gave a small smile in response, glancing at the Blue Ranger next to him.

"Maddie here picked me up via that teleportation spell. We all really should learn that trick." Vida smiled back as Maddie blushed from the recognition.

"Tomorrow, maybe. Right now, I want some sleep," the younger twin replied. They all nodded appreciatively, fatigued expressions gracing their features.

"So do you want a ride home?" Vida asked both Maddie and Xander. While Xander seemed undecided, Maddie shook her head.

"I'm just going to teleport home. Teleporting in makes a lot less noise than parking a car and climbing in through a window," she stated. Vida stuck out her tongue.

"I'm not that bad -"

"Not anymore," Maddie muttered, earning a playful punch on the shoulder from her twin.

"Anyway," she started again, "I'm not that bad anymore. I've learned a lot about sneaking in since I started, and a bit of assistance from a levitation spell doesn't hurt either." She added a wink, managing to make Chip giggle. Whether it was from how funny it actually was, or the lack of sleep mixed with dangerously low levels of caffeine in his system making him a tad bit stupid, they'd never know, but soon after, Xander turned to Vida.

"If you don't mind, V, I'll have Madison take me. I don't need my dad wondering why I'm stumbling in at nearly two A.M." The Sprite smiled and nodded, seeming both wide awake and almost dead from exhaustion.

"Fine by me. It means I don't have to stop by your house after I drop Chip off at the farm."

"Then it's settled," Maddie said. "See you later, sis. You too, Chip. Don't let her get to you." He grinned drowsily at her, nearly asleep on his feet now that the immediate danger was gone and the true lack of sleep, or rest of any sort, was getting to him. Vida, too, grinned and took his hand, directing him toward his seat.

"In you go," she murmured as he pulled himself into the passenger seat. Looking back at her twin when she was sure that he'd buckled himself in properly, she added, "See you, Maddie. Don't wait up for me."

"Will do," the girl answered with a small smile, taking Xander's hand. "_Uthe sastos_." Both she and her tagalong vanished into a multicolored spell seal, leaving a tired vampire and a dazed vampire hunter to make their way back to their respective homes.

The ride was uneventful, at least by their standards. Several times, Chip broke out of his tired stupor to ask Vida utterly ridiculous questions (like who would win in a battle between Darth Vader and Batman), only to fall back into his trance-like state as he stared out the window. The most excitement came thanks to Vida, who became an unbelievably bad driver when her vampiric side emerged. Several times, Chip found himself scrambling to ward off the demon half and save them both from an exceptionally grisly death that his mind had begun to cook up, one involving rolling end over end and fire. Lots of fire. Thankfully, the highway was nearly vacant at this time of night, or morning, depending on your preference, so only a handful of truckers caught any of these brief bouts of madness.

More than one close call later, Vida was parked in front of Chip's uncle's ranch-style house, calling out an exhausted goodbye as he walked away. Once she heard his front door click shut, she shifted into drive and pulled away. She'd already made it back onto the highway when a shrieking laugh pierced the whooshing night air. Vida nearly steered herself into the median when she saw who was in the seat next to her, where Chip had been just minutes ago.

"Necrolai!" she spat, expression dancing between shock and anger. "Get the hell out of my car!" The vampiress simply cackled.

"Now, now, my pet, do settle down. I have plans for you, but you must be calm." Vida sent her the best murderous glare she could summon while still watching the road.

"Like hell you do. What do you want with me?"

"Oh, only your eternal servitude," she replied with what could've been a smirk on her frozen lips. "Now, before you go any further, my plan needs to be pushed into motion yet again." She leaned uncomfortably close to her servant. "You are mine," she whispered, voice entwined with traces of hypnotizing control, "and you shall do as I say." Like a backdrop suddenly crashing into the wrong scene in a play, Vida's eyes clouded over to an almost indistinguishable and unfocused light red.

"Yes, mistress," she replied in monotone, attention no longer on the road. Necrolai squealed delightedly and clapped her hands together.

"Such a good servant. Now to the Underworld we go!" Vida nodded absently, turning her gaze back to the road. The dark jeep passed under the long shadow of a tree and vanished before it could come out the other side, taking both passengers into the darkness with it.

* * *

_A/N_ - Ugh, finally. It's been nearly three weeks since I updated, and I've been itching to get this one out. Yes, this is the beginning of the end. Don't think that the next chapter will be that last, though. There'll be two more chapters, at the very least, and an epilogue. I'm just relieved to finally be done with this one. Some parts were difficult to get through because they felt weird, or I felt like I was letting some details flounder, but here it is. My next update may be another few weeks, unfortunately. I have very little free time between school, the musical, all five books I'm reading and my favorite shows premiering, not beside the fact that my friend won't stop bugging me to get back into our RPG. I am going to try as hard as I can to update as soon as I can, but I can't promise that it won't be another long period between updates.

As it is, enjoy!


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Maddie was jarred from her recurring dream, one of vivid owls, all varied shades of pink and red, crashing into the ocean as the shadows cast by the sunset consumed them, by a gentle nudging of her shoulder.

"Yeah?" she answered groggily, not bothering to try and open her eyes. When there was no response, she let out a tired breath and asked, "What is it? Is that you, V?"

"I'm afraid not," came a deep voice, definitely not Vida's. Even in her sleep-deprived state, she knew her father's voice, and he sounded worried. His tone alone forced to wake herself up a little more.

"What is it, dad? What's wrong?" she asked, prying her eyes open slowly and propping herself up on her elbows. There was something unsettling about the vibes he was giving off.

"Your sister isn't in her room," he stated. "Or any other room in the house, for that matter." Of there was any one thing he could have said to awake her fully, this was it. She sat straight up and looked her father in the eyes, barely noticing her mother's pacing form just inside her doorway.

"You mean she isn't here as in she didn't come home last night?"

"Unless you know something we don't, then yes," her father answered. "Do you?" His eyes flashed with the fatherly look that seemed to demand an answer, but she resisted.

"Sorry, daddy, but I don't know much. Just that she and Chip were going to hang out and maybe go to a rave. She probably just crashed at his place afterward." Not incredibly common, but it had happened more often than anyone would think. If Maddie hadn't known what had gone down in the past twenty-four hours, she would've believed her own excuse without question. Chip and Vida were such good friends that nothing indecent would happen, and Chip's uncle would be too preoccupied with the head count of the cows, or something to that effect, to notice Vida on their guest bed. Given the details, that theory seemed a little less credible.

As it was, her parents seemed to accept this, though fairly reluctantly. Maddie knew they weren't entirely trusting of Chip in the given situation, no matter how long they'd known him, but this had come up several times before and the young man had always remained as virtuous as he could be. Slowly, they nodded and began to move out of her room, her mother pausing in the doorway after her father had left.

"Ask Chip at work today, okay? I know she may not show up if she really was that tired, but that boy'll be there even if he has the plague." She smiled slightly at the memory of Chip's over zealous approach to being somewhere when he promised to be. "Can you do that for me?" Maddie nodded sleepily, sinking back into her drowsiness as the situation was temporarily resolved, even if the worry was still eating at her. Her mother left the young woman's room, giving her a reassuring, hopeful smile as she left, Maddie returning it weakly. When her mother was finally downstairs, she turned her whole body to look at the clock on the night stand beside her bed. Six fifty-nine. Well, it wasn't too early. In fact, it was almost -

_BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP!_

Her alarm began shrieking at her at the numbers switched to seven, the time she usually woke up and started her day when she didn't have to go to school. On any other day, she'd feel ready to go out there and face the world, but not today. After being up so late last night, and everything that had gone on in the past couple of weeks, she wasn't sure she wanted to leave her bed, not when it was so safe and warm. Life out there may have been going haywire, but in her room, nothing was wrong. She was in complete control here. Nothing could touch her or hurt her and absolutely no one was under a spell that altered who they were. Vida was crawling out of bed and getting ready to go to work. Chip was as high-spirited as ever, and Xander was getting ready for another day of picking up chicks left and right. She and Nick were going on a date later that night to see some cheesy action flick he wanted to see. Everything was absolutely wonderful and perfect.

Except nothing was close to being great, and those thoughts were nothing but lies. Nick was still evil, Vida was a vampire, their lives were on the line every day and she was having out of character thoughts and urges that seemed more and more frequent and disturbingly natural. Even in the comfortable confines of her room, reality refused to leave her alone, and she had to face it sooner or later.

Sitting up again with a groan, she sent her alarm clock and vicious glare.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered as a tiny jet of water permanently quieted the infernal thing.

* * *

Unlike every other day, Chip sauntered quietly into work, his mind too preoccupied with assorted plans to help Vida to notice his body going through the motions. Though he was disappointed when he entered the front half of the shop and didn't see her toying with a new song on her turntables, he couldn't say he hadn't been expecting it. After last night, he hadn't wanted to get up either. She was probably back at her house, sleeping away.

Maddie and Xander were both out front, though, Maddie working the register and Xander chatting up some brunette customer. Save for the lack of music coming from the corner opposite the register and Nick still being gone, it seemed almost normal.

Jumping straight into work, he popped over to a confused looking young girl and tried to help her locate the CD her brother had requested for his birthday.

Fifteen minutes and twenty-three dollars worth of sales later, the place was near empty, save the for the employees and a few customers. Chip finished ringing up his sale and glanced at Maddie, who stood tiredly next to him.

"So how's Vida doing? Tired, I'm guessing." She turned her head in his direction, sending him a funny look.

"I thought you'd know," she said. "She didn't come home last night, and we assumed she crashed at your place."

"No, I saw her drive away after she dropped me off. She was heading back to your house." The serious tone in his voice stripped away any doubt she'd had about his honesty. As the enormity of his words, paired with her own knowledge, sank in, her eyes widened.

"So if she wasn't at our house, and she wasn't at yours, then... "

"Then who has her?" Chip mused aloud. Though many ideas passed through his head, one stuck out. "Necrolai," he whispered, multitudes of hatred layering his voice.

"But how can we know for sure?" Maddie asked, hoping it wasn't true. She didn't need to lose someone else to the darkness, let alone her sister, and yet it seemed like she was.

Chip seemed thoughtful for a moment, but then a small grin played across his lips.

"I can't, but you can." She gave him a confused look.

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" He simply arched his eyebrows, waiting for her to catch on. After a moment's thought, it clicked. "You want me to talk to Nick."

He nodded, replying, "What better way to find out if V is really down there. You know he can't lie to you." She held up a halting finger.

"We don't know that." The 'oh, please' look she received told her exactly what he thought of her statement without a word.

"This is Nick. Even I know he never would, not unless they just sucked his personality away, but that would take some freaky magic, anyway," Chip answered with a small, playful grin. "Besides, what harm could it do?" Despite the doubtful look she was sending his way, she knew he had a point. After a moment of silence, she sighed.

"I'll try." Closing her eyes, she tried blocking out everything except for the thin thread that led to his mind. She followed it through the murk of everything else, finally falling into the hurricane that was his mind. Above the chaotic and erratic thoughts, she could feel his surprise at her intrusion.

'_Hi, Maddie,'_ he replied brightly. _'Why the sudden visit?'_

'_Oh, just a few questions,'_ she replied, wanting to keep this as short as possible. Even his voice could melt her if he really tried. _'Do you know where Vida is?' _She could feel his smile.

'_Yeah,'_ he answered simply. She gave him her best mental version of the 'elaborate' eye motion. _'I saw her sitting around Necrolai's caves, staring off into space. I'd say Leelee's plan is working better than I'd thought it would. Never thought we'd actually get V here, really.' _Maddie's mood teetered between anger at his flippant attitude toward this and wanting to melt into his voice. With a bit of mental force, she pushed herself toward the anger, a much safer feeling than the other.

'_Why the hell do you even need her?'_

'_No specific reason, really. It's mostly just part of the overall plan to bring down the Mystic Rangers.'_

'_But you're a Ranger, too,'_ she countered.

'_Technically, yes. I still have my morpher, but I don't even know if that part'll work for me. For all we know, I could end up dead when I try,' _he said, making a valid counterpoint._ 'Anyway, any more questions?'_

'_None,'_ she replied nonchalantly. _'But I'll be seeing you soon.'_ She disappeared from his mind, fuming and already forming a plan. Chip stood next to her, giving her an eager stare as her eyes fluttered open.

"So?" he asked impatiently. While she was talking to Nick, Xander had sauntered up from the back, now standing a few feet away and looking on with interest. While Chip was consumed by his curiosity, Madison was slipping into something entirely different. You could visibly see her entire mood darken as her plan began to take shape. Again, Chip asked, "So?", a bit more insistent this time. She turned toward him sharply, a flash of crisp, dangerous blue crossing her eyes as rain began beating down mercilessly outside, despite the cloudless day they'd had. Though Chip took no notice of this, too intent on knowing what she'd found out, Xander witnessed it all, including the dozen or so people who rushed in to avoid the unrelenting downpour.

"They have Vida," she stated. "They're not going to give her up." Such a simple sentence managed to set off something in the usually spacy Chip. His mood swiftly changed to match Madison's, dark clouds threatening to form around the two before much longer. As it was, harsh crack of thunder came from outside, startling Xander and lighting up the darker-than-night sky. Maddie was far from done talking, though. "And they still have Nick. I'm through with them taking away people I love. I'm sick and tired of it. It ends today."

Nervously (how else could he be when they were like that?), Xander approached the pair.

"What exactly are we going to do?" he asked. Neither Ranger turned to look at him, both giving anything before them intense and calculating glares. Anger played across their features in its most pure form, frankly frightening Xander.

Just when he thought she hadn't heard him, Maddie replied, "We're going to the Underworld."

* * *

Something about this plan troubled Koragg. It was solid, more so than some things Morticon thought up, but something still nagged at the back of his mind. Of course, that didn't stop him from letting it proceed. If that little vampire princess wanted to try her hand at being evil, then he'd be there to watch if and when she failed. The nagging refused to cease, though.

When Morticon had first forced her, along with backing of Nick, to present her idea, he'd thought for sure it would fail. The Morlock's ego and lack of sufficient brain power prevented him from accepting most plans he heard, and Koragg had been sure that this too would be shot down. When her short speech was over, it had been instantly approved, coming as a complete shock to most everyone. Necrolai had been angry, having not been asked about her part in everything, but he'd simply been astonished. That had quickly faded away when Nick's following words registered in his mind.

"I don't want anyone to even touch Madison, though," he'd said. "If we do this right, she'll come to us on her own, and even bring the ones we don't get."

It was becoming increasingly irritating to deal with his son's juvenile infatuation with this light witch. Love itself he didn't have a problem with, but a true dark wizard knew when duty came first, and Nick still couldn't see that. His inability to let her go was infuriating for the fact that it both prevented the Rangers' destruction and that kept a shred of light in the young man's mind, holding him precariously back from the darkness.

He respected the girl, at least, even if he wished her presence had never graced the planet. It was her influence that was holding Nick back from his true darkness, but she wasn't as soft as she'd once seemed. He'd noticed an edge in her actions recently, darkening bit by bit, and that managed to please him, even slightly. If this trend continued, she could soon be a suitable interest for his son.

At the moment, she was still an enemy, and that warranted his hatred. She may have developed a stronger personality in the time she'd been a Ranger, but she was still a follower of the light, and her newfound strength changed nothing but his respect for her. If his son didn't manage to turn her, he would destroy her himself and finally banish the light lingering in the boy.

Whichever scenario played out, he knew that everything was about to undergo a serious upheaval.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Leelee asked, arching a vaguely interested eyebrow.

"Just everything working out perfectly," Nick replied, shaking the traces of Madison out of his mind. The vampire princess's face lit up.

"So they're coming? All of them?"

"I don't know about all of them, but Maddie's coming."

"So you finally get your girl," she interjected with a smirk. "Where do we go from there?"

"Well, I suppose Xander and Chip'll be on her tail when they realize we're all having our little party down here."

"And if they come along with her?" Nick smirked.

"Then everything goes just a little bit faster. They all come here, try to 'save' us and, when they get soundly beaten and try to retreat, they can't. Around then, we can take their powers if we want and resurrect the Master, but I'd rather let them keep their morphing abilities. It just makes them a better challenge."

"I would like to be able to go up there and stay there, though," she griped. "And we can't do that unless the Master rises and we rule." The whole evil thing wasn't something she was really interested in, but she could try to fit in with it if it meant finally escaping these pits once and for all.

He gave her a wicked smile. "That'll come eventually, after we get rid of the rest of their allies. Right now, though, we need to get ready. There's no telling when our guests will arrive."

* * *

"Shouldn't we think this out a little bit more, Maddie?" Xander asked in an almost pleading tone, nearly jogging to keep up with the young woman's pace.

Not looking back at him, she responded, "What else is there to think out? We tell Udonna what we're doing, see if she wants to help and then we're off."

"But isn't that a little hasty? Don't you think Udonna will want to help flesh out the plan just a little bit?"

"Not if she wants to save her son," was all she said, but it was enough to stop Xander dead in his tracks for a second. Son? Udonna had a son? And he was in the Underworld too? Something occurred to him, but in went against everything he'd learned about magical history since they'd become Rangers.

". . . It's Nick, isn't it?" he asked quietly, trying to grab Madison's attention, and hopefully Chip's with it. "He's her son." His words succeeded in stopping the vindictive pair, Maddie closing her eyes as if to organize her thoughts and Chip giving her a questioning look.

"Yeah, it is. It's a long story, and I'd love to explain later when everyone is safe and sound on the side of good again. Long story short, Koragg used to be Leanbow and he and Udonna were in love. They had Nick, but when the Great Battle happened, this guy named Daggeron was sent out to protect him. He disappeared and Phineas took Nick to his family in our dimension, and then changed Udonna's memory so the grief wouldn't kill her." Taking a deep breath, she started walking again, not caring whether or not the guys followed her now. By the time she'd reached Root Core, they'd both caught up with her again, each preoccupied by their thoughts.

Udonna sat inside at the table, a small book before her. Maddie caught a glimpse of a handful of people happily standing close together, posing like it was a picture even though it was clearly a part of the paper itself, before the elder woman flipped it shut in a startled way, seeing the trio enter.

"Hello, children. I was... expecting you." She added the last part hesitantly, as if she hadn't been expecting them quite so soon.

"Then you know what we're doing here?" Maddie ventured, trying her best to be as patient as she could.

"Yes, I do, and I agree with Xander. You are being hasty," she replied patiently, recognizing the same behaviour that so many young red magicians had exhibited in her time as a teacher and, although it was very odd to see it from a blue witch, it cemented in her mind what she knew they must do.

"How can you say that when it's your team, your _son_, that we're out to save?"

"Because I know that a well thought-out plan is usually much more successful than rushing headlong into a fight. I'm sorry, but I cannot let you do this. I can and will help you once you are prepared, though."

"And how are we supposed to prepare?" Chip inquired. Though he'd settled down considerably more than Madison, he was still eager to finally retrieve his friends. Their mentor turned to look at him.

"There are individual skills that you each must study to succeed in our mission," she stated. "You, Chip, will research and create a Dawn Crystal, the only thing strong enough to kill a vampire queen and free Vida from her spell." She looked to Maddie. "Madison, my dear child, I am going to show you how to protect your mind from unwanted invasion." Last in order, she turned to Xander. "Clare knows a skill that will be particularly valuable to you in the caverns of the Underworld, and she would be glad to teach it to you." Xander gave her an apprehensive arch of his eyebrows.

"Clare?" he asked, only vaguely hiding the fear he felt in learning a magical ability from the sorceress-in-training. Udonna grinned lightly.

"Yes, Clare. I assure you, she is quite adept with this skill, even if she has little opportunity to apply it." When he didn't put up a protest, although the look on his face still told of how unsure he was, she returned her attention to the trio of teens as a whole. "Now, are all of you ready? I can safely say that if you choose to continue, multitudes of danger lie on your path, greater than anything you've faced yet as Rangers and magicians in ways you cannot even understand. I ask again, are you all ready?" Each nodded without reservation, at least outwardly. "Good. So begins the Underworld's end," she added with a coy smirk. The others didn't smile, simply nodding again and heading off to their individual tasks.

Chip about-faced and bounded up the small set of stairs to where the Xenotome sat. The pages flew open on the simple mental command, fluttering down gently as Chip laid his fingers on the yellowed edges.

"Show me how to make a Dawn Crystal," he commanded in a no-nonsense way. Words shimmered onto the previously blank pages, detailing each step in the process and even featuring a realistically proportioned illustration. When he ran through the list of ingredients, he realized exactly how tough this was going to be, considering how volatile some were and how bad he was at potion making. Bad was an understatement, really; horrendously and inept usually went hand-in-hand in the description he would've used. It wasn't that he didn't try, but more attributed to his attention span, which was on the shorter side, and his attention to detail wasn't the best, unless, of course, it was being used to catch continuity errors in his favorite shows and movies. He'd tried several times to make potions for various reasons, mostly because yellow magicians were supposedly expert potion makers and he was striving to live up to his branch's trade. Even the most basic of potions had failed miserably, so how on earth was he supposed to make on as complex as this that actually became a solid is he did it correctly?

Reminding himself whom he was working to save, he busied himself with finding some of the more common herbs while burying his lack of self-confidence in this area as best as he could.

Xander ascended the closest set of stairs, walking nervously to what he knew to be Clare's room. It wasn't that he doubted her ability with this particular skill after Udonna's accolades; he was more afraid of anything she accidentally did while she was teaching him. He still trusted her to be careful - after all, this situation demanded complete seriousness. They were out to rescue Nick and Vida, and Xander had the feeling that Udonna had more of a reason to come than just helping them and finding her son.

_Only time will tell,_ he thought as he pushed open the door to Clare's room. The young sorceress-in-training sat on her bed reading a book that seemed newer than those around her. She hastily read the last few words of the paragraph she happened to be on and stuck a bookmark between the pages.

"Sorry," she apologized with an honest smile. "I read a lot. Not much else to do around here, and something about other people's views on magic fascinates me. Have you ever read Harry Potter?"

"No," he replied. All he knew was the gist of everything, and that was mostly because he'd dated a girl who'd been really into it. Of course, being friends with Chip didn't hurt.

"No, didn't think so. The author has a good idea of how magic works, but it's kind of off for the most part." He nodded with interest, taken back to the long ramblings of said obsessed girlfriend, but she could tell he really wasn't into it. "Sorry," she said again. "I assume you're here because Udonna wants me to show you how to do the whole elemental shift thing, right?"

"Actually, I'm not sure," he answered. "Udonna wanted you to teach me this thing that'll be really handy in the caves. Are we talking about the same thing?"

"Oh, in the Underworld?" she asked brightly. "Yeah, I think we're talking about the same thing. What I'm talking about would be really handy for you down there. We just need to get started right now, okay?" Before he could answer, she'd taken him by the hand and dragged him off into another room.

Madison sat idly in her chair as Chip and Xander went off to their tasks. She couldn't believe Udonna was making them wait. Vida and Nick were down in the Underworld, but she was stuck up here, forced to wait so Udonna could teach her some stupid new trick. Why did she need to know this, anyway? Did Udonna think she couldn't save them without it? That was a lie. Maddie knew she was more than capable of saving them both alone. Chip and Xander were just tag-alongs on her personal mission. In the end, she wouldn't need them. She didn't need anything but herself, and she certainly didn't need Udonna and her stupid skill.

Only when she was partway out the door did she realize what she was doing. In the flurry of brash thoughts, her feet had carried her almost out of Root Core. It took her a moment to come to her senses. What was she doing? What was she _thinking_? Anything they could learn that would make it easier to get Nick and Vida back was well worth the wait. So where had those arrogant ideas come from? They seemed too out of character to be her own, and yet the mental trail led back to her own mind.

Barely aware of what she was doing for the second time in just minutes, she sat back down in her chair. What was going on with her? Shirking the law, her not so minor attraction to Nick's dark side, all the weird little things from the past couple of weeks that didn't seem so weird until she threw them all together. Where were they all coming from? Was there some other force out there, influencing her secretly? Who would want to do that? How many people even could?

Before she could pursue those thoughts any further, Udonna approached her.

"Are you ready?" she asked, breaking Madison's train of thought. The girl nodded quickly. She may have found her proper mindset, but she was still anxious to get out there.

"As ready as I can be," she answered, sitting up a bit straighter. Udonna took the seat next to her.

"Good, for what I am about to teach you takes great patience and determination to be truly effective. First, you must close your eyes and takes my hands." Madison did exactly as she was told, anticipating whatever was about to come."Thank you," Udonna murmured. "_Unios mens_." Instantly, Maddie recognized the spell. It was the same one Nick had used to create a telepathic connection. She arched her eyebrows, eyes still shut.

"What was that for?"

Though the question was more than a little demanding, Udonna remained calm and balanced. "A mental connection is necessary to know that you are performing the skill properly," she replied. Maddie could fell the slight smile on her mentor's lips just through her words. "May we continue?" The Blue Witch nodded. "Good. Before we go any further, you must know that learning this is of the utmost importance to our mission, and is not something be taken lightly. Without proper protection, your mind can be used against you in some of the most vicious ways by your enemies."

"Like Nick?"

"Yes, most especially Nick. If he is allowed to access your mind during battle, it could endanger everything. While I know that you treasure the small connection it provides between you two, we may not be able to retrieve him if he knows too much of what we are planning." As much as she wanted to deny it, it did make sense. Nick wouldn't hesitate to pop into her mind and know their plans in a heartbeat. Temporarily trading in her little comfort in order to regain her sister and boyfriend was a more than welcome trade.

"Now," Udonna continued, "we truly begin. You must start by following the trails of your thoughts back to your own mind, journeying within yourself like you would any other person." Maddie followed her mentor's lead, tracing the lines of consciousness into the depths of her own mind. When she heard Udonna speak again, it had an echoing, quieter sound to it, as if coming from much further away.

"As you fall deeper into your mind, mentally build a wall around each layer, brick by brick around every thought." Visualized stones dropped neatly around every idea and notion she passed. This went on in perfect silence, at least to her ears, for many minutes, until she reached the end, finally touching on the central core of her being. For good measure, she built up her barrier around this too, as a final defense should Nick get, or even try to go, that far.

When she'd completed that, she waited for Udonna to continue, but the elder woman remained silent. Maddie held out for a while longer, but her attention was slowly drifting to the headache she was developing. As she was reluctantly pulled back to the physical world, a stabbing pain spread to her temples, elevating rapidly to searing pain akin to that of a branding iron. It felt as if her mind was being torn apart thought by thought, the most terrible of which rose to the top and lingered firmly, piling upon each other with the obvious intent of breaking her down. A red veil of pain blanketed her sparse thoughts and memories, but a single one managed to break through this in shining color: fight it. It escalated rapidly to a rippling point of light, dissipating the pain as she grasped onto it like the lifeline it was.

"_Enough_!" she barely heard herself shout as the pain kept fighting against her, pushing away the spreading grains of light. Her single word seemed to set off the golden thought, exploding its power through her mind. The pain evaporated into the ether, sharply replaced by sight of Root Core as she snapped back to the physical realm. She blinked hard a few times to reassure that she was indeed alive and, with that knowledge, glanced hesitantly around the room. Chip hovered over a smoldering cauldron, staring as he stood frozen, stuck in the middle of adding a powder she couldn't identify. Udonna sat before her in the same position she'd been in last time, a minuscule smile on her lips. Even Xander and Clare were poking their heads over the balcony, Xander's seeming different from the usual, darker, almost a heavy shade of grey. Maddie blinked a few times to make sure this wasn't a trick being played on her by her seemingly rebelling mind, but she couldn't do much more than that as Udonna began speaking amidst the silence.

"That was very good, very good indeed, especially for your first attempt. Your walls held for a while, but I was eventually able to start tearing them down. You felt the pain, did you not?" Maddie nodded, none too happy. "A good sign. If it hadn't hurt, they wouldn't have been near strong enough. Now you must simply practice making them stronger." Again the younger witch nodded and closed her eyes, back to her task.

Udonna sat idly in her chair for only a moment before perking up as Chip posed a question.

"Hey, Udonna? Where do you keep the hair from a bat's wing? I can't find it in the ingredients cabinet." The mentor stood up and slid open a panel of the wall, revealing nearly one hundred vials of varying sizes.

"This is where I store the more rare and powerful potion ingredients, for future reference. This," she said, carefully picking up a medium vial filled with short, dark hairs, "is what you seek." Extending the glass out to him, he took it gratefully and plucked a few out.

"Hair from a bat's wing," he murmured, taking another vial from the table next to him and opening it gingerly. "Purified flakes from the first snow." Another glass moved to his hand, the other ending on the table again. Then, struck by an epiphany, he froze.

"Wow, I'm sounding like a sorcerer," he said in amazement. Udonna smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Chip, you are a sorcerer," she replied, smile belying more than she seemed to be giving away. He gave her a funny look, but couldn't question her any further, as she walked back over to Madison. Giving only another moment's thought, and then attributing her comment to misunderstood semantics, he went back to his potion.

"Are you doing well, Madison?" Udonna asked, reclaiming her seat next to the young witch. Maddie nodded vaguely, still lost in the visualization. She placed a hand on Maddie's own, pulling the girl out of it.

"I can tell you are improving, but that is not the full extent of the skill," she stated, garnering a nod that was both interested and mildly confused. "As you are now, you can semi-effectively prevent entry to your mind only by venturing within yourself. Unfortunately, your enemies will not grant you that privilege. You must be able to build and hold up the defense while engaged in battle. This, my dear, is where it becomes difficult. Are you up to it?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Udonna smiled again and stood up.

"Come then. We must begin." Maddie too stood up, brow furrowed.

"What are we doing?" she asked. Her mentor's smile only crept further across her face.

"Dueling, of course," she answered, summoning her wand. "Are you prepared, or are you too weak to fight an old sorceress?" Maddie grinned slyly.

"Oh, you're on."

* * *

"Ugh, are they coming yet?" Leelee whined. She was absently fiddling with a lock of blonde hair, twirling it around the dagger she was holding. Nick rubbed a temple and shook his head.

"I can't exactly tell," he responded. "I'm having a hard time getting into Maddie's mind." The vampire princess rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on. You've been able to just walk in before. Why can't you now?" Letting his hand drop back down to his side, he turned to look at her.

"I'm not sure. I think she's trying to block me." Leelee tilted her head in confusion.

"Why would she want to do that? I thought she was crazy about you." He shook his head, summoning his sword from thin air and looking at it thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but that wouldn't stop her from blocking me out. Probably some attempt to help them save us." He shrugged and held up his blade, aimed at the girl. "Whatever works for them, I guess. Now, how about we get back to our preparations?" Without a second's hesitation, he launched himself at her, sword aimed for her neck. Only quick reflexes saved her, dodging the swing just in time. At the same time, she turned the defensive move into one of offence, driving a non-lethal blow into his gut. He stumbled away, sputtering, as she smirked.

"Having fun yet?" He glared at her, massaging the point of impact tenderly.

"Oh, you haven't seen fun yet."

* * *

Nearly four hours later, both women still stood in defensive positions, their breathing more irregular than before. They'd gained several spectators in the form of Clare, Chip and Xander. While Clare and Xander had emerged from their practice room about half an hour ago, Chip had been done, or as close as he could be until dawn actually rolled around and finished the job, with his Dawn Crystal for what seemed like ages. He'd remedied this long wait by alternating between reading a historical book that seemed more like fantasy than reality, and watching Udonna and Madison fight. Udonna gained the upper hand more than once, but Madison always managed to even things out again and regain her ground. Occasionally they'd stop to fix up the minor injuries and Udonna would give her young charge tips on how to improve her use of this mental defense.

After another thirty minutes, they finally and completely stopped, only then realizing that they were being watched. As they sat down, Xander gave them a curious smile.

"Done?" he asked simply. Maddie nodded and took a drink from the glass of water she'd summoned. Whatever she'd seen earlier, real or imaginary, was gone, as he was his usual healthy shade of a light tan once again.

"It looked pretty intense," Clare commented, trademark exuberant smile on her face.

"You don't know the half of it," Maddie replied, only half joking. Clare nodded back knowingly.

"I never could master that," she said. "At least Udonna could pass it on to someone."

"You may not have learned this skill, but you are a fine sorceress nonetheless," Udonna added. A moment of appreciative silence followed, but Xander broke it quickly.

"So what now? Are we going to go? I mean, we've got all of our stuff done, right?" All except Chip nodded.

"I have to wait until dawn to finish my Dawn Crystal. We can't go until then."

"Then I would advise you all to go home, go back to work and rest until tomorrow. We will need all the strength we can summon," Udonna stated, a grave seriousness in her tone.

"But what about Vida? What should I tell my parents?" Maddie asked. Those weren't the only things running through her, mind but she held back the protests, knowing that the mentor was right. She was too tired now to be at her best in the Underworld, and that was the only way they would win. "They're already worried about her."

"I'm sure you will come up with something," the mentor replied. Her vague smile was mildly disconcerting, as if she already knew what Maddie had been thinking about doing. "Now go. Tomorrow will be one of the most difficult days you face as Rangers. None of your safeties are assured, but we will push on no matter what. We must not lose sight of our goal."

* * *

It was only seven o'clock in the morning, an ungodly hour for most teenagers, but Madison was wide awake, sitting in her chair at Root Core. Chip was in his seat across from hers, staring down at the triangular yellow crystal in his hands. He'd been here longer than she, since just before the sun rose to make sure that the final stage of his potion went off without a hitch, and he still looked completely energized, ready for the fight ahead. Udonna and Clare were in other rooms, preparing themselves for what was to come.

Yesterday afternoon had been stressful, to say the least. After her shift had ended (Toby had forgiven them for skipping out so quickly, but still given them extra hours to make up for it), she'd gone back home and done the only effective thing she could think of to explain Vida's absence to her parents: she'd used a temporary memory alteration spell. It only lasted for a few days at the most and she could end it once they got Vida back. That cleaned up all the messy explanations as to where she was and why she was acting weird, even if it was slightly immoral. In this case, Maddie thought it could be glossed over, given everything that was going on.

Finally, Xander strolled in and joined the small group, Udonna and Clare ascending the stairs to round out their party a moment later.

"Are you all prepared?" Udonna asked, looking to the three teens. They nodded, along with Clare, and Madison stood up.

"Then let's not waste any time," she commanded, dormant leader-like qualities bubbling up.

"Are we all going?" Clare asked, both eager and afraid.

"I believe you should stay here, my dear," Udonna answered. The apprentice's face fell slightly, but her expression contained a grain of understanding. "You must protect Briarwood, Root Core and the forest as a whole should anything happen while we are gone. Are you willing to do that?" The younger woman seemed shocked.

"You trust me with all of that? What if I mess up?" Udonna shook her head and sighed, a weary smile on her lips.

"Have you no self-confidence, child? Do you not trust my belief that you can defend two worlds and rally the peoples of both into battle?"

"Of course I trust you," she responded without hesitation. Clare knew she could trust her aunt to the death.

"Then you must do this. Should the crystal ball alert you of any darkness, fight it off with any being who will follow you. The Ancients will protect you. Now," the mentor said, turning her gaze to the trio of youths before her, "we must go. The darkness has awaited our arrival for too long, and they will be eager for a fight. We must hurry." They all nodded seriously and came together, disappearing into a seal. Their last sight of the surface was of the apprehensive but ready Clare waving goodbye. Each of them hoped it wouldn't be their last time seeing the animated girl.

As quickly as they'd gone, they were in the Underworld, standing in a desolate hallway. Chip and Xander took a moment to regain their equilibrium, still not quite adjusted to that form of movement. Teleportation wasn't something most people expected to have to get used to. It was only a moment, though, before they were fine once again, looking to Udonna for direction as Madison already was. This was something she was used to, and she easily slipped into an authoritative mode.

"Chip, both you and Xander search for Vida. Madison, you must obviously search for Nick. As for me, I will find Koragg," she stated, the helm of mentor and leader coming naturally. Both young men nodded, but Xander followed it with a question.

"How are we supposed to find them? I mean, these caves are probably huge and there's no doubt that they already know we're here." The mentor held up her worn wand, akin to their original ones, with a tiny grin.

"What else would we use but magic?" she asked rhetorically, laying it out flat on her palm. "_Cuspis ut Koragg_." The stick began to hover above her hand, pivoting in every direction until the snowflake crystal on its tip settled on the doorway to her right. Chip's eyes barely held in the delight that the rest of his face refused to show at the prospect of more magic, wand quickly appearing in his own palm.

"_Cuspis ut Vida_!" he commanded. His wand copied Udonna's, swirling in circles for a few seconds before stopping abruptly. The garuda crystal pointed to the hall just beyond their mentor. He looked up with a smile. "Guess this is where we split up."

"Hopefully not for the last time," the elder woman responded as Maddie used the same spell, Nick as the target. Blue light shone from her crystal as it indicated the only other way to go, the hall past Chip and Xander.

"I guess we really are splitting up here," she added, shivering slightly as the impact of what they were about to do hit her. Udonna noticed this brief sight and placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"The Ancients chose you, and they will watch over you until the end. May they always protect you." The teens repeated this to one another quietly, not knowing exactly what it meant or who these Ancients are, but understanding the basic meaning behind it. The three parties proceeded in their general directions without a word after that, not knowing if they'd all be back together again.

* * *

"So? Are they coming _now_?" Leelee asked again. She was becoming increasingly impatient, not only because the Rangers had failed to show up yesterday, but they had to be awake so early in case they arrived now.

"I told you, I can't tell. Madison's still cloaking her mind," Nick replied. The vampire princess was really grating on him now. Why couldn't she be quiet for more than thirty seconds? Hmmmm... Maybe there was a spell for that.

Leelee began a biting remark, but froze mid-word as a tapping noise caught her ears.

"Do you hear that?" she inquired, getting only the shake of a head for a response. "Someone's coming. I'm going to go." She scurried away into a side passage, not really wishing to fight. This whole plan may have been her idea, but she was liking it less and less. Lately, she'd been questioning how evil she really was, and this plan had been a last-ditch effort to see. Now a feeling of dread was creeping up into her mind, and it was trying to prove what she had begun to suspect. She really didn't want to get caught up in what was about to happen, not when she was this divided. Anyway, whoever it was, it sounded like they meant business.

Nick remained stoically in his spot, back turned to whoever was coming.

"Hello, Nick," came a strong voice not too much later, one that he recognized instantly.

"Finally here?" he retorted. "I thought I'd be long past dead before that happened."

"Preparing to fight someone you love takes time." A grin crept across his features.

"Ah, so this is a matter of love. How sweet. Really, I should've seen it coming," he sneered, turning to meet his visitor. Madison stood in the archway, looking at him and the many niches in the walls, generally inhabited by Hidiacs, that seemed to span upward forever. She stood in a powerful stance, obviously willing to fight at any given moment.

"So what now?" he asked playfully. "Are you going to fight me? Drag me kicking and screaming back to the light? I doubt you even can." Maddie shot him a fierce glare, on par with one of Vida's most powerful. At least the skill hadn't been lost in this twin.

"Don't be stupid. You don't belong here, and you know it. I can see it in your eyes." He arched his eyebrows.

"Oh really? How touching." The look on his face shifted, a degree softer than before. "I love you, Mad, but you're the one being stupid. This is my place. My destiny lies here." She snorted with derision.

"If you believe that, you're more deluded than I thought. You know you're supposed to be with us, as a Ranger and as a friend. You just don't want to see it. The Master doesn't want you to see it."

"Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night." The shrug of his shoulders, the look in his eyes, how he acted like this was all one big joke to him, was really beginning to tick her off. It had only been a few days since she'd seen him, but he'd seemed so demure then, only an edge of darkness behind his actions. Now it seemed to be the whole of his personality, dominating every aspect of him. That wasn't going to last, not so long as she was around.

"Don't think I won't fight you," she stated evenly, a hint of challenge behind her words. His eyebrows knitted together in a condescending arch.

"Come on, Mad, I know you better than that. You couldn't fight me even if you wanted to. Why even fight fate? I belong here, and you belong at my side, it's as simple as that." She could see the traces of light pushing and fighting their way into him, but she refused to let it get to her. He was still evil, and she wasn't going to stop until that changed, no matter what games he tried to play with her.

"Don't you dare do that," she warned strongly. "Don't you dare try to tempt me. You know where you belong, where we belong, and I'm not afraid to show you the truth by force."

"Do your best," he scoffed, "but I st-" His words were cut short by the force of a spell that connected harshly with his shoulder and sent him into a spinning arc through the air. The thud echoed throughout the caves as he landed on his stomach, scarcely softening the landing with his hands.

As he pushed himself up, an amused smile covered his face. "You actually did it. I'm surprised at you, Maddie. Never really saw you as the abusive type," he snarked.

"You'd be surprised how far a little motivation can get you," threw back the young witch. A bright red jet of magic whizzed past her ear, but she refused to flinch. "You missed."

"That was just a warning. Next time I won't miss."

"What makes you think there'll be a next time?"

"And what makes you think this fight'll be that easy?" he retorted. "Only one of us can get what we want, and I don't plan on losing."

"That makes two of us." She fired another spell at him, but he managed to avoid it, if just barely. He regained his footing and sent three spears of fire in her direction. A hastily summoned wall of water was all that stopped them, leaving only a thick haze of steam in their wake.

Maddie spun around, keeping her senses on high alert. A fraction of a second too late, she heard the whooshing sound of a sword cutting through the air and turned in time to find the blunt edge of Nick's blade meeting her gut with enough force to throw her back. She skidded nearly twenty feet across the room and was hardly able to blink before Nick was swinging his sword down at her again. Without a thought, she transmuted her wand into a trident and caught his blade inches from her face.

"Nice toy," he commented. "Is it new?"

"Of course. You guys aren't the only ones who get cool weapons."

"Not much you can do with your little pitchfork is there, though?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," she snapped back, pushing him off with all force she could muster. He stumbled away from her quite ungracefully as she stood herself up slowly and deliberately. The trident sat menacingly in her palms, almost overflowing with untapped power. Nick gave it an appraising once-over and grinned.

"You may have a powerful new weapon, but you hardly know how to use it. I hate to say it, Mad, but you won't be much of a challenge until you learn how to use that thing."

Anger flared in her eyes as the trident seemed to tremble slightly in her clenched hands. "I may not know how to fight properly with this thing, but there's no way I'm letting you beat me," she said firmly, building rage repressed as best as she could achieve. His taunting words were getting to her, though their effect was different from what he'd intended. They gave her the drive to fight and bring back the Nick she loved, not this crossbreed of his darkness and light. That goal pushed her more than anything to fight him until she found the perfect time to bring him back. She wasn't sure how she'd accomplish that, only trusting that she'd know what to do when the time came.

Amidst her half-second of thought, she felt a searing pain flare up on her right shoulder. Holding back the sudden outcry of pain, she saw that Nick had used her mere moment of thought to strike out again. A thin line of blood trickled out of the gash, staining the thin whiteness of her undershirt. If not for the leather vest, the cut would've been much worse and much more painful.

Taking in and reacting to all of this in only another fraction of a second, she thrust her trident up into his gut instinctively, pushing him onto his back and leaving him gasping for air. In an instant, she was standing over him, the pointed tips of her weapon held dangerously close to her face.

"You bastard," she whispered, repressed rage and sorrow set free. "You just hang around down here and live in your demented little world where you're supposed to be like this and it isn't hurting anyone. You don't even realize what you're doing to all of us, do you? Your grandma is worried sick, Gracey misses you so much, Udonna and Clare seem so much less alive sometimes, even Chip and Vida are acting differently and Xander's just doing what he always does: trying to hold us all together. And what about me? You have me on this emotional roller coaster every time you come and go, and you know what? I'm tired of it, sick and tired. This needs to end so everything can go back to the way it was supposed to be and we can all go back to normal." The snarl behind her whisper momentarily caught Nick off guard, but he quickly recovered and grinned.

"Temper, temper, Maddie. Wouldn't want to accidentally touch that dark magic, would we? Could lose our powers that way," he replied. "And who are you to say that this isn't normal? It _is_ a subjective idea, you know. This could be my normal."

"You're a fool if you think this is your normal." He slowly moved his sword closer to her leg as she went on. "Our normal may be different from most everyone elses', but even this isn't it. I'm just here to bring you back to our normalcy." Swiftly, he swung the flat side of his blade at her right leg, sending her toppling to his left. He scrambled up, sword held out as a warning.

"I told you, Mad, you're not going to win. I'm just better with my weapon and, in the end, you're just not a fighter. This'll only end badly unless you give up now. Just surrender and we can have peace together. No darkness or light, just us, going wherever we want and doing whatever we want. What do you say?" She glared at him as she propped herself up using her trident. Oh, the bruises she would have tomorrow...

"Not a snowball's chance in hell," she managed between breaths. "I'm bringing you back with whatever power it takes." He arched his eyebrows amusedly, arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh, really? Any force? You'd break one of the biggest Ranger tenets, straight from Zordon himself, just to bring me back? Touching," he mocked, riling her more.

"Desperate times," she stated simply, holding her trident into the air. The blue mermaid crystal resting at the meeting point of the three prongs flashed brightly. "Anything for you."

"I dare you," Nick said, entertained. "Do it."

"If you insist." In a flash of blue light, her entire body was encased by the traditional stronger-than-believably-possible spandex and the nigh-invulnerable helmet. He sent her an impressed grin as she lowered her weapon back to her side.

"Why am I not surprised? The more and more I see, the more convinced I am that you really do have a dark side. Of course, it still won't be enough. You aren't the only one with that little trick." He held out his own sword, red phoenix shining from its resting place at the blade's base. Maddie let out a clipped snort of laughter.

"Try it if you want, but it won't get you anywhere. You know our power only works for light magicians, and you aren't a light magician, not by a long shot." He flashed her a superior smirk.

"That may be, but I guess we'll just find out, won't we?" He paused, giving her one last grin. "Dark source, evil force!" For a moment, nothing happened, giving Maddie reason to smirk back. This would be easier then she'd thought.

Her smile faded away when the crystal set within his sword began to spew black smoke, winding its way around his body. A few red sparks leapt viciously across the yet uncovered parts of his flesh, drawing the smoke to them. It covered him entirely for only a moment, then faded, rolling away as if caught in a wind, leaving only a flabbergasted Blue Ranger and a smirking Red Ranger.

* * *

Chip and Xander ran silently through the corridors of the Underworld, each growing increasingly uncomfortable as the number of candles perched on outcroppings steadily increased. The wand hovering above Chip's hand would twist with every turn they were to make, but Chip's mind was far too preoccupied to notice his automatic steps. All the tiny dancing flames reminded him of that unspeakable night nearly eleven years ago. The drifting scent of burning wood and unrelentingly harsh light pervaded his senses, putting a block between him and reality. The harder he fought against it, the more it seemed to invade his every sense and thought.

Just when it threatened to overtake him, another thought blared resoundingly though his mind: Vida. She was close. They were close. Any moment now, she'd be in the same room, and the thought frightened Chip. He knew they'd have to fight her, and probably Necrolai, too, but it still seemed like a foreign thought. Sure, they'd had arguments (what friends didn't?) But this was a real, physical fight, not a dispute over the best new local band. What frightened him the most was how easy it seemed. He had no reservations when it came to possibly fighting her into unconsciousness and, like she'd suggested two nights before in the club as she helped him recover, sacrifice her for the greater good. He knew that, unappealing and disturbing as it was, he could do it if it came down to that.

A cool burst of air threw him back into reality as the wizard duo entered a large cavern, extending upward for what could've been an eternity. Two figures stood readily across the room, both instantly identifiable even in the flickering light of thousands of candles. Neither moved, only glaring at the new arrivals. Xander was the first to step forward, a charming smile adorning his features.

"Hi, I'm Xander. Would it be possible that we could work this out in a nonviolent way?"

"Oh, you silly Green Magician," Necrolai sneered. "You never learn, do you?" A purple-ish pink blast of energy threw him back without warning, sending him into the wall at a harsh angle. His right shoulder connected with the sharp stone wall bordering the entrance. Instead of collapsing, he simply disappeared without even touching the floor. The vampire queen and Chip stared in confusion at the spot while Vida merely glared into space. Necrolai's features suddenly snapped to Chip.

"Where did your magician friend go?" she spat, hate overrunning from each word. The Yellow Wizard returned her glare full force.

"I don't know," he replied evenly, "but I do know that Xander is more than capable of handling himself."

"And what about you, Yellow Magician? Can you handle both your friend and I now that it is two on one?" He was about to reply with a snippy retort when the wall just beyond the pair of vampires seemed to wink at him. It took the boy only a second to make out the vague features hidden by the candlelight, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Oh, I wouldn't be counting on that," he said as a leg jutted out of the wall, sweeping the queen's legs out from underneath her. She fell brutally to the ground as a jagged grey figure emerged from behind her.

"Forgotten about me already, have we? That's not very nice," it said, words joking and very obviously slanted by an Australian accent that the rough grey skin, almost like living rock, couldn't hide. Vida leaned over to her mistress and helped the vampiress up, scowling at Xander as she did so.

"Don't you dare touch my mistress," she snarled. When the queen stood fully upright, her servant let out the wild punch she'd been holding back, aimed directly at her Green Magician friend's head. He stood completely still, melting into the floor just before her fist connected. As easy as it would've been to simply stay still and let her hand try to hurt his stony exterior in a way that would've infinitely more painful to her than to him, this carried an element of surprise that he enjoyed.

Even as the whiffing follow-through of her swing continued through its arc, he was already up behind her. A well-placed push to the side had her on the ground, gasping for air.

As this went on, Chip leapt into the beginning fray, sending a crackling bolt of lightning at the distracted vampire queen. It caught her across the chest, spinning her into a downward spiral as tiny tendrils of electricity ran across her skin. Again she was on the ground by way of a Ranger, but this time it was harder to get up. If she'd been human, she would've been unconscious, possibly even dead, and even a regular vampire would have been out of commission for a minute or two. Getting hit by lightning could do that you, even if you were the Queen of the Vampires.

Being just such a creature, she was only slowed for a few seconds as she regained muscle control. Those few seconds were enough for Chip to dash over to her and flip her onto her back with a swift kick to the gut. He summoned his crossbow by thought and sent a regular arrow into each hand, pinning her to the ground.

For a moment, she smirked. Mere arrows could not hold her down. They were as useless as every other weapon. That thought process was rapidly derailed as a severe wave of pain washed over her, emanating from her hands.

It was Chip's turn to smirk. He put a leg on either side of her torso and crouched down, nearly straddling her stomach.

"Like them? I coated each one in holy water before I came. I'm what you could call the resident vampire hunter of our team. Bad luck for you, huh?" She didn't reply, only hissing in pain as smoke came from her palms. "Hurt, don't they? And the best part is, it'll never kill you. It can burn for an eternity, but no death. One of the perks of being the queen, but I guess you'd already know that. Now... " He let his words trail off as he fished something out from his cloak, something opaque, yellow and triangular. Through the thin lines of smoke and unending pain, Necrolai could only barely see this new object.

"Do you know what this is?" Chip asked rhetorically after a moment. "I'm sure you do. It's a Dawn Crystal. Recognize the name? You should; I don't know why you wouldn't, really. It _is_ the only thing that can kill you." He continued on, but she heard nothing, focusing entirely on gathering herself. Slowly, she her hands up, so slowly that Chip didn't notice. Each movement was pure agony, but she persisted, finally reaching the point where she tore them up sharply, pushing the young wizard away. In the same movement, she raised her legs and kicked him further back with a blow to the chest. He lurched backward and onto the ground as she nursed her now free and languidly healing hands.

Twenty-odd feet away, Vida was faring about as well as her mistress. Every punch, kick and spell aimed at her former friend simply missed or bounced away, no harm done to the teen. Occasionally he'd slip away under her feet, appearing on any other side and delivering a quick attack. One would think that she'd have expected come to expect this move eventually, but between the obedient murk Necrolai had placed in her mind and the random timing of his movements, it was nearly impossible for her to defend herself. Still, she kept up on the onslaught of attacks, magical and physical alike despite the knowledge that they weren't working. Only the most powerful attacks she could summon even left a mark, and they exhausted her slowly depleting power, making her efforts all the more difficult.

Xander, bored with the whole thing after a few minutes, dropped into the ground and moved underneath his friend. The whole power was strange, no matter how right he felt as one with his element, but the strangest thing was the ethereal view he had of everything. Not only a detached view, but ones coming from every point of rock he was connected to.

Focusing his thoughts only on the cool stone around his consciousness, he threw up a circle of evenly spaced stone bars around Vida to form a natural cage. In the next instant, he was aboveground again, still willing the walls to hold against her inhumanly strong punches.

Chip gasped for breath, clutching his chest with one hand as the other helped him to stand up steadily. His opponent was only a dozen or so feet away, cradling each wound alternately. She looked up at him and issued an animal-like snarl.

"You foolish wizard," she said. "You have no idea what you are getting yourself into."

"Funny," he replied, taking even and determined strides toward her. "I was thinking the same thing about you." Before she could even see it, his hands were held out before him, palms downward, a righteous passion imbuing his very aura now. The vampiress stared at them in questioning for only a moment before she was overtaken by another rip of pain and a flash of white light that temporarily blinded each of them, save for Chip. A peal of thunder soon followed.

When his sight returned, Xander was met with the sight of the Queen of the Vampires on her knees doubled over. Thousands of volts of electricity danced over her skin and clothes alike, extending in its purple-white glory all from Chip's hands, much like the Force Lightning of Star Wars, a movie series the Yellow Wizard had seen more times than everyone else he knew combined.

Only a few seconds later did he let up, dropping his arms back to his sides.

"You're the fool here if you think I'll be that easy to beat," he said quietly and with a threatening edge, ready to resume his attack at any moment. Necrolai was now breathing harshly as her body divided its healing energies between her hands and everything else. The young man glanced to his other friends and, receiving an affirmative nod from Xander, knew he was good to proceed. Coming closer to the hunched villainess, he took her by the throat and pulled her up to standing height, enough voltage issuing from his hand to keep her stunned. Again he pulled out the Dawn Crystal, which he'd hidden away as he recovered from her earlier attack, and held it menacingly over her chest.

"One more time now. I don't like you messing with my friends. Not Xander, not Madison, not Nick and definitely not V. We protect each other at any cost, but this one doesn't look like it should be too hard to satisfy." His eyes glinted dangerously, a very repressed side of his personality just barely slipping out. "I'll give you one last chance. Free Vida and leave us alone."

Struggling against his tazer-like grip, she spat, "Never, Yellow Wizard. She is mine for all eternity!" His intimidating fierceness shifted to a coy smirk and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Okay, whatever you say. Just remember that you brought this upon yourself." He threw her back against a wall, firing a bolt of lightning into each of her freshly healed palms and holding them in place with his mind. A few cracks of thunder were heard as a summoned electrical storm kept the cavern perpetually lit.

Rainbow spots littered Xander's sight, but he could make out Chip purposefully attaching the Dawn Crystal to the end of his crossbow. When it was firmly held in place, the Yellow Magician lowered the bow and took aim.

"For Vida!" he shouted, pulling the trigger and releasing a bolt of built-up electrical energy, Dawn Crystal making the deadly arrowhead. In the very moment that he freed his shot, Xander's concentration dropped just enough for one of Vida's punches to break through the thick stone of her cage. She was out without a thought, leaping through the air toward her mistress. Her arc flew perfectly across the path of Chip's arrow, the pointed tip of the projectile piercing her gut and continuing on through the other side. She fell to the ground with a bloody spattering of crimson liquid just as the crystal sliced into Necrolai's heart. The vampiress let out an ear-shattering scream before fading to ash. The remains never had a chance to settle, though, as dark smoke pulled it into a nether world, removing it from their presence.

Unfortunately, both Chip and Xander took no notice of this. For a moment, Chip stood triumphantly, taking in the good he'd just done. Then, just before the smoke arose, what had just happened actually hit him. Both he and Xander were on their friend instantly, the former cradling her head while the latter looked over her wound.

It was serious, more so than anything he'd ever seen, even in slasher movies. Blood ran freely over the ground and, if he looked in at the right angle, he could see her internal organs pulsating madly as they tried to fix the aberration. Their efforts were for naught, for it was a fatal wound, and Chip knew it without looking.

"Oh, no, no, no," he murmured, tears running down his cheeks as he looked at the girl in his arms. Her color was returning, but it was draining just as fast. Burying his face in her shoulder, he muttered, "What have I done?"

* * *

The caves wound endlessly around her. Each jutting hall never seemed to end, let alone bring her any closer to her goal. Her wand twisted around every so often, taking her down another hall that wouldn't end. Any person with less will would've given up by now, choosing to abandon their search.

Udonna was different. Not only did she have quite the motivation to succeed, but she knew of their fate if they failed. She'd refrained from telling the Rangers, Madison especially, because it would put far too much pressure on the young magicians. In fact, if Madison didn't accomplish her mission, they were all fated to spend the rest of their lives in these caves. While it was relatively easy to teleport into the Underworld, only someone with access to dark magic could leave. That meant that if she didn't turn Nick back, they were trapped. The witch had enough stress weighing down on her already without knowing that their escape depended on the completion of her task.

Finally, the sorceress found herself in a wide cavern, thoughts still amok as her wand landed in her palm. Without looking around, she knew that her target was here. In a defensive stance he stood, sword remaining sheathed in his shield.

"Welcome, White Witch," Koragg growled. It couldn't be seen, but a fierce gleam rested in his eyes. "We finally come face to face again. This time, you will pay for your acts against my family." She shook her head.

"I have committed no acts against your family because it is also mine."

"Lies, all lies," he spat back. "Light propaganda."

"It is only the truth. We were happy once, with our son, but it was all taken away by darkness. We can be happy again, Leanbow." His gaze snapped to her on that last word, irrational hate and calm knowing bubbling up. It echoed through his mind, touching the darkest crevices.

He pressed his hands firmly against the sides of his head. What was this magic that affected him so? What silent spell had she woven into her words? It took all of his mental fortitude, but he fought the word out of his head, dropping his arms back to his sides and standing straighter.

"Nice try, witch, but it will take more than that to hex me." He pulled his sword from its scabbard within his shield and pointed it threateningly in her direction. "I will not tolerate your spells or lies any longer."

"I am using neither spells nor lies. I speak only the truth when I tell you that you were once a noble light warrior, chosen by Fortis himself as his avatar and to lead our armies against the darkness. You only forget because the master wills it to be so."

"More lies!" he shouted, voice tempered in such a way that less seasoned magicians would've turned coat and ran. "You will pay for each one."

His movement almost beyond what she could track, she barely blocked his sword with her wand, transmuting it into a sword of her own in a shower of white sparkles. The sound of blades connecting rang through the cavern like demented church bells as they exchanged blows.

Both were more than capable swordsmen, neither gaining much ground as the fight pressed on. Koragg swung low, aiming for her legs, but Udonna anticipated this, leaping over it and connecting with his head. The helmet absorbed most of the hit, but stars still exploded before his eyes. As he stumbled a bit, she returned her weapon to its regular wand form and aimed it at him.

"_Loricatus distraho_!" White sparkles flew from her wand and dissolved his armor upon contact. Moments later, an older man with slightly curly dark hair and tanned skin paled by many years underground stood before her, raising his eyes slowly to meet hers.

"Now, I will say it again," she stated firmly, all business. "You are not Koragg, despite what the Master would have you believe. You are Leanbow, and it is time for this lie to end." He snarled and lunged at her, sword ready to attack. She had expected this, though, and shouted, "_Restituo memoract_!" followed shortly by, "_Restituo forma_!" Two nigh-identical jets of white energy shot out at him from her wandpoint, throwing him physically to the ground.

Flashes of another person flickered over him even as he arced toward the floor and skidded back a bit. One moment he was the normal Koragg, long hair and dark clothes, and the next he was someone else Udonna knew only from memory, combed back curly hair and softer features. The face had hardly changed over the years, only showing a few signs of aging.

Udonna stood frozen, taking in what nearly twenty years had done to the man she loved. Nothing too drastic, really. Just some greys around the temples and few wrinkles, not major things. One important factor she did notice was the flashes of appearance - they were lingering longer on the true Leanbow every time they appeared. That was a sign that her spell was working; soon, her family would be whole again.

Just as she began to rejoice, something virtually disastrous cropped up. Red threads of electricity sparked wildly around his temples bringing back the Koragg persona each time. They grew longer and more frequent, stripping away her spell as they reinforced their own. Distantly, she could scarcely hear a guttural, rumbling laughter. Then, from across the room, she heard a different laugh, a twisted version of the one from memory, dark and foreboding, and still all too familiar.

"Foolish witch," he boomed mockingly. "You cannot use your magic to change me. I am much too strong. You will learn why you do not attempt such a thing." Through the hair draped over his downward tilted head, she gasped as her eyes met his own, a fluctuating red, changing like the waves of a sea of blood. All traces of his former self were lost in the shifting crimson waves that gave her an inhuman glare.

As a purple-red flash of light filled the room, a beam of white light cut through it, canceling out the morphing energy Koragg had summoned. He was thrown forcefully back and already Udonna was striding toward him, satisfied with her spell. Rubbing his head for a moment, he quickly let his hand drop to eye level so he could inspect it.

"What did you do, White Witch? Where is my armor?" Udonna smiled lightly.

"I leveled the playing field. You took my morphing ability, and I stopped yours." She paused, raising her wand, a sword again mid-movement. "If it is a fight you want, then it is a fight you'll get."

* * *

_A/N_ - Wow, finally. _Finally._ Over a month, but I did it. I won't make excuses, though I do have some good ones. It is longer than usual, though, so I guess that's some compensation.

Not much to say this time. One thing I want to mention is that if you notice I use the word 'magician' a lot more now, you can blame DarkStarShadow. Heaven and Hell is a brilliant story, and I highly recommend it.

One thing that's been on my mind lately: is it sad or just plain odd that certain elements of my story a disturbingly close to how there are in the show? The little things, I mean, that I wrote before they even mentioned them on-show. Does that mean that I'm good enough to be a writer for the show, or that the writers are on the same skill level as a sixteen-year-old girl?

Tangent-ish-ness aside, hope you enjoyed it, and here's hoping the next'll be up quicker.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

"How'd you do that?" Maddie sputtered, believing it only because she could see it. Udonna had said such a thing was impossible, as their powers were bound to good magic alone. That meant that either Nick still practiced light magic or they'd found a way around that little roadblock. Her money was on the latter, but there was always a chance that he'd had no idea what would happen when he tried it. That did sound more like how he'd go about it, ever a fire elemental, rushing headlong into something and forgoing the consequences.

The Red Ranger before her smirked at the awe and confusion she was projecting in waves as her mental defenses dropped a tiny bit.

"It's nothing special. Guess you could say that it's your fault, really. Your good influence carries over to me enough to allow me to morph. But, with you blocking yourself and all, I don't know how long it'll last." He paused, raising his hand to his chin in a mockery of thought. "Of course, that's all Dad's theory. At least that one makes sense. The man has some demented ideas about everything, I tell you."

Madison simply stared him down, fingering her trident anxiously. This needed to end, and soon.

"Aww, what? No witty banter, no clever wordplay? You've lost your edge, Maddie." He let out a long-suffering sigh. "I guess if you really want to fight so much..." In an almost lightning fast movement, he was on her, sword aimed at her head. Blocking with equally fast reflexes, she caught the blade between the prongs of her own weapon. She threw both he and his weapon away from herself, leaping at him in the same motion and stabbing into his gut. If not for the astounding protection the spandex provided, he would've been left with more than three equally spaced bruises and a temporary lack of oxygen.

Even as he took in much needed air, he tried to block a succession of swings from the Blue Ranger, intense training showing as he managed to land a few hits while still on the defense. These grouped together gave him the precious few seconds he needed to stand himself up as Maddie recoiled.

Not allowing her the time to recover, he began his own furious onslaught, forcing her back further and further each time she defended herself. He kept swinging his blade with enough force to push her away, inching her closer to the center or the room. Then, when opportunity presented itself, he struck his final blow.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he knocked her out of morph and into the dead space over the Master's pit. She fell through the air above it, but her body never touched the still pool. A red arc of lightning caught her, suspending her above the now-alight circle bored deep into the stone floor. More bolts joined it, criss-crossing over her body in a disturbing pattern.

Seeing the terrible pain wash over her face, Nick almost leapt into action, then stopped himself, falling out of morph. In his mind, an intense battle was taking place: loyalty to his father, and the Master by extension, or his love for Maddie? Which held more sway with him?

Her cries echoed through the cavern, increasing the obvious struggle within, but that wasn't where it ended. Her mental walls fell, giving him the sudden and complete feel of her torment. All she could feel was pain, doused with quick, dead-on-arrival flares of hope. At the same time, a pain spread across his mind, tiny red threads of electricity racing over his temples. A powerful voice he'd never before heard rang clearly through his head.

'_You obey only I. Give up your foolish love, for it will only bring our destruction.'_ The urge to stand back and simply watch grew stronger, but a wave of passion rose up to combat it. The two forces duked it out within him, both powerful influences threatening to tear him apart. Distantly, he could still Maddie's cries of pain, but they were masked by the commanding voice.

'_Pay her no mind. She is an enemy, nothing less. You belong to the darkness and the darkness only.'_ The words crawled into his mind, pushing the light out of even the deepest recesses. He was vaguely aware that it was magic being worked on him, but the true meaning of that faded into the background. Only the darkness mattered now, and she was not apart of their overall design, not anymore. She was merely extra baggage left over from a well-executed plan.

Hatred and emptiness overtaking him, he looked up at her through blood-red eyes and smirked. How foolish that he could've ever loved this light witch, this scum of the goodness. All he saw now was an enemy, a wretched and pitiful foe, unworthy of his time or devotion. She was to be crushed like the insignific-

"_Nick..._"

With only four simple, strangled letters, his consuming darkness was pierced, a thin ray of light burning away all that it touched. With perfect clarity, he realized what had happened. The Master, the being he had sworn allegiance to despite not wishing to, had spelled him, taken away his personality in favor of pure darkness. The mere thought was infuriating. No one, not even the Master, was allowed to alter his mind, not unless he permitted it. And no one was going to take away his feelings for Madison, not for any reason and not without retribution. Even the all-powerful Master wouldn't escape his wrath.

Before he could even recognize his movements, he'd summoned his sword and launched himself over the pit, severing the thick line of electricity that held Maddie aloft. In the moment after, he caught her suddenly descending body and landed on the other side, gently laying her down. When he'd assured that she was at least alive, he turned back to the still-glowing pit. It seemed to glare mockingly at him, the eye within it hardly appearing on the surface, and his anger ballooned.

"You do not touch Madison," he commanded, thin layer of red engulfing his sight. "Nor will you try to spell me. I am no one's pawn." There was no response, only the unsettlingly uneven breaths Maddie was taking in.

A pain split his mind open from out of the blue, forcing spell upon spell in. This time, though, he knew what was going on and pushed the spells away as best as he could. Each one only clamored back long enough for another to jump in and begin trying again and again, and he couldn't keep them all out anymore.

In a single desperate act, he struggled against his rebelling muscles and took up his sword, clasping it between his hands and pointing it downward. The sudden release of his body as the Master realized what was happening and scrambled to throw up hasty protection spells only added to the force of the blade stabbing into the pit, the only connection to the magical realm that the Master retained and fed off of to remain alive.

Under ordinary circumstances, the protective magic hastily erected around the being would've been enough to stop even the most powerful warrior, but these were no ordinary circumstances. A brilliant gold light emanated from Nick's hands, immersing both the sword and Nick himself in its blinding glow. All the magicks worked around the young wizard were blown away by this light, destroying the darkness it touched outside of him. It pierced the vivid barrier of red around the dragon-like being, plunging deep into his magical essence. The golden light flowed into this gash, drawing a guttural roar from the creature within.

Nick could feel this light washing over his mind and body like a cool breeze, a pure, strong feeling of bliss. He was frozen in his spot, directing this new energy into the Master, knowing it belonged there simply by instinct. It flowed from him slowly, moving like luminescent honey and breaking down the most basic levels of the spells cast over him but not able to fully remove them before it moved away. It all moved into the very core of the Master, eating away at him bit by bit as more flooded in.

Finally, as one last roar echoed past him, a wave of golden energy shook everything, concentrating and hurling itself into the pit. A blinding flash of white light covered them momentarily and then dissipated, leaving Nick trembling from the act. Using his sword as a balance, he dared to look into the hole before him and was met by nothing. No red light, no eye, not even the rolling steam that occupied it when the Master wasn't there. No, it was nothing but an empty space now. Inside, he felt relief though he knew that he had just destroyed the one being his father reported to.

Like oxygen escaping from a punch to the chest, his breath was stolen as he turned to Madison. Only her chest moved up and down in sharp, ragged movements, and she was frighteningly pale. Rushing to her side without realizing his movements, he crouched down and took her into his arms. Every few seconds, he could feel a shuddering breath and with it, she became a bit paler.

His thumb brushing her cheek absently as his mind tried to wrap itself around what was happening. She responded slightly to the touch, a pale flush rising to her cheeks. Struggling, her eyes crept open wearily, a little smile curling her lips up as she saw him.

"Hey there," she whispered, her voice a ghost of its former self. "Good to see you're feeling a little more yourself." He laughed gently despite the tears creeping into his eyes.

"Yeah, it's nice not being controlled," he choked out. "But enough about me. You're not looking so good." She smiled again, eyes closing like she hadn't slept in weeks.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling so great. But what can you do?" She coughed weakly, though her eyes remained shut. A disbelieving chuckle shook her body, so cold against his warm touch. "I'm dying, aren't I?" she asked, no fear in her words. He didn't know how to answer such a frank question, and that was all the answer she needed.

"Don't be so down," she said, not opening her eyes. "If there ever was a way I wanted to go, this would be it. I'm just doing my part to make this world a little better." He heard her laugh again, but it was an empty laugh, only there to fill the space. "And Nick?" she prompted quietly, turning more serious. He perked up a bit, hoping to hear some morsel of knowledge that would save her and end his fresh despair.

"Yeah?" he asked, voice a little choked by the held back tears. She pushed herself up and closer to him, each moment taking unbelievable strength that she no longer had. What was she doing? She shouldn't be moving at all, just saving her energy so he could spend more time trying to figure out how to save her. Inaudibly, she whispered something, and he leaned in closer as she repeated the words.

"_Verita naturalis_," she murmured. Even as the words left her mouth, he could feel their effect. The same light he'd felt earlier overtook his vision, hiding everything behind its golden glow, and everything around him disappeared, at least to his sense of touch. He could feel all of the dark spells placed on him, with or without his knowledge, dropping away, their missing weight making him feel lighter. Until this moment, he hadn't realized just how many spells he'd been under that altered his personality and behaviour in such slight ways. Minutes ago, this knowledge would've pushed him into a frenzy, but now it was simply the past, as agitated as it made him.

Only fractions of a second later, as the light occluding his vision and touch faded away, he saw Maddie's glimmer of a smile.

"Feeling more yourself now?" she gasped, breathing coming with more difficulty every time she did so. He only nodded in response, not wanting to let her go in fear that nothing else would anchor her to this plane.

"Don't cry," she added, reading his overly-projected emotions and noticing the few escaped tears before he did. "I'm dying, but not without a reason." Her smile turned to one of peace as he put a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Please hold on," he pleaded. "I'm going to fix this. I don't know how, but I will." Weakly, she shook her head.

"Don't waste your time. Just be happy with the time we have left." He fell silent, the last of his dozen or so tears falling away. The two kept this silence for a few minutes longer, Nick pulling her closer, her head resting on his shoulder and his on top of that. By now she'd let go of her mental walls, and he easily felt how quickly her life was ebbing away, but he continued to rack his mind for something that could save her. Not only did he never learn healing magic and his ancestral repository of spells was also coming up blank, but he doubted that there was any way to save her from such powerful magical wounds.

Interrupting his thoughts, Maddie drew in a shuddering breath and said, "So how about one last kiss before I hit the road?" He hesitated, feeling like it would be giving in to the inevitable to do so, but if he couldn't deny her a kiss when she was perfectly fine, then there was no way he could say no now. Not with that faltering smile and the barely-there blush she maintained, let alone when it could be her last request, even if she'd been half-joking.

He quietly obliged, pulling her into a long, powerful kiss. It lasted for nearly a minute before he pulled back, and swore he has a golden spark on her lip for a fraction of a second.

As he lowered her back down ever so lightly to his shoulder, he felt her complete peace as the last drop of life she held dripped away. Her body relaxed to the most extreme extent, but he tensed.

She was dead, truly dead. Sure, her soul still lingered, but it was no longer attached to her body. Maddie was gone, and it was his fault, his stupid idea to use Leelee's plan to lure her here just because he never wanted her to leave him again. Why did he have to be such a selfish bastard?

_You were under the influence of evil,_ a part of him whispered. _You couldn't help it._

That would've been all too easy to accept if he hadn't known that it was an outright lie. He could've helped it. Even if he was under the influence of evil, it was by choice that he allowed that side of him to be brought out. Like it or not, it was a part of who he was and it always would be. The only difference between how he was regularly and after the spell was that it had been allowed to dominate him, to be the majority of his being. He may have only submitted to the spell to save Maddie, but he'd submitted all the same, and look where she was now.

And like that, his wandering thoughts had come full circle back to Madison. Within him, a sudden passion arose, the urge to destroy her destroyers, to eradicate any darkness he met without question. It was a vengeance that he'd be happy to act upon, killing whatever dared to celebrate her death and anyone who stood in the way of that objective.

But Maddie wouldn't want it that way. Of course, she'd want justice to be served, but not in the blind, haphazard way he'd envisioned. No, he'd bide his time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike out, and not at the cost of innocent lives. She would be avenged, but in due time.

Almost in response to his more ordered, thought-out plans, a warm breeze gusted around his crouched form, leaving his body tingling. He felt his palms grow warm, the sensation spreading to every inch of skin that was in contact with Maddie. Soft red light rose from these points of contact, soaking into her pale body.

Nick could only stare on in confusion as the light pulled the color back into her skin, his breathing coming to a halt as her own chest began its slow, rhythmic movements once again. Then, not failing to startle him, she jerked straight up, tearing away from his hold. The red light faded away as she did so, leaving only a confused Red Wizard and a Blue Witch gasping for fresh breaths. After less than a minute of this semi-silence, Maddie turned to her boyfriend.

"What just happened?" she asked slowly, trying to work out all the jumbled facts and memories. "I thought I was -"

"You were," he cut off, meeting her gaze. "But then I - I don't know what I did, or what really happened."

"How am I even alive?" Her hands moved to her hair and shoulders experimentally, as if to reassure herself that she was indeed alive and not just a ghost. Nick glanced down to his own hands, no trace of the light on them now, and shook his head.

"I'm not sure. There was this warm breeze, which was weird considering how cold it gets down here, and then my hands felt warm. This red glow came out of them and -" He paused, realization dawning on him. "I healed you. I'm not sure how, but I did. Man, how did I do that?" he asked himself, running a now free hand through his dark hair. "Was - was it that spell you used on me?" He paused again and looked at her, cocking his head. "What was that?" Her face scrunched up in thought, trying to recall the last few minutes before her death precisely.

"It couldn't have been my spell, not even if I messed it up. Mine was just the counterspell for Koragg's 'dark nature' spell. Even if I flubbed a word, it isn't in the right form to do that. And," she added as an afterthought, looking him up and down, "it seems to have worked just fine. Your eyes are their proper green again, at least."

Giving her a quick grin, he replied, "Yeah, I'm all me again. Can't say the darkness still isn't there, but it isn't in control anymore." With a second's pause, he turned serious again. "But what do you think caused this whole healing thing?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Can't we discuss this later, preferably with someone who can give you an answer? Right now, I'm just glad to have you back, good again, too, and to be alive. Nothing could ruin this right now."

In a blur of yellow light, Chip stood in front of them, looking disoriented, worse for the wear and, above all things, like he'd been crying.

"We have a problem, you guys."

* * *

"You still cannot defeat me, even if I cannot morph," Koragg spat, looking up the blunt side of Udonna's sword to the sorceress' green eyes, not unlike his precious Akaia's, or Nickolaus' for that matter. Something about them was eerily familiar, like something from a far-off dream.

"Don't underestimate me," Udonna responded, cutting short his thoughts. "I remember everything you taught me, but you remember none of it. You know nothing of my skill. Now stand up and summon your weapon. I will not fight you like this." She backed away from him, allowing him room to stand up and brush himself off. He admired her honor, how she allowed him to fight back when she knew she could've finished him if she wanted to, but that would not alter how he fought her. She was still a follower of this light, and that alone was reason enough for her destruction. Summoning his sword, he looked her in the eyes.

"Though you are an honorable opponent, I still cannot allow your lies to stand. The Master wishes your death, and he shall have it." With no further words, he raised his blade and swung it downward at her shoulder. Not anticipating the sudden attack, Udonna still managed to deflect a small part of it. Koragg, still the better swordsman, angled his blow at the last second and caught her shoulder, slicing into her skin but not quite hitting muscle and imparting tremendous force. Blood came up instantly, staining the white of her dress. Instantly, her free hand was on her shoulder, attempting to stem the flow, and her eyes told of her mounting ferocity. Koragg laughed.

"The first of many, I hope." Letting go of her wound and taking her sword in two hands again, she aimed for his gut with the blunt side, not wishing to mortally wound him. Though he hadn't known exactly what kind of attack she would use, he had expected some sort of retaliation, jumping out of the way while letting his sword fall in a perfectly angled arc toward her dominant arm. It barely nicked her flesh, drawing a thin line of blood. She leapt back before it could go any deeper, but he came forward along with her. He swept her feet out from underneath her before she could gain a sure footing. Even with the many decorative layers of fabric that made up her partial skirt, there wasn't enough to cushion the hard fall she took, and it left her unready for the cold metal point that grazed the soft flesh of her throat when she landed.

"Where are your skills now, White Witch?" Koragg gloated. "It seems that I was not the best of teachers in my so-calked past life. Still, you have proven your worth as an adversary and I may now dispense of your life in the name of the Master. Goodbye." He raised his sword high above his head, magically reinforced metal glinting in the sparse light, and let it fall in a killing curve.

It would have been a deathblow if not for his arm hitching in place mid-swing, a dying roar echoing throughout the caverns. In the same instant, red sparks sprung into life around the Knight Wolf's temples, dancing around listlessly before fading away dejectedly, last dregs of blood-red light soaking into his skin.

Seizing her moment, Udonna rolled away and stood up, sword abandoned for its wand form again. She took careful aim between her husband's eyes and shouted, "_Restituo memoract_! _Restituo forma_!" Two beams of white light, identical to her two earlier attempts, flew in a perfect line toward her target, interlacing even as his head and body were swallowed by them. It died away quickly, leaving the similar sight of a single body flickering between two personas, both clutching their head in what could've been any number of things.

Much to her joy, it flickered to the man she had long dreamed to see for a bit longer each time, the tanned man like an aged version of what she saw in her memories. As he flashed back to Koragg, a thousand threads of red electricity rose to his flesh, coursing over it momentarily before flowing downward, off his body and onto the cool stone floor. There, is dissolved, leaving nothing to speak of its presence. As it moved down him, it stripped away not only almost two decades worth of spells and their reinforcements, but the very persona of the Knight Wolf Koragg.

When it had all vanished, all that remained was a motionless man, hunched over and gripping his head. Hesitantly, Udonna moved toward him and crouched down to his level.

"Leanbow?" she asked quietly, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder. He responded slowly to this, hands falling to the ground. When he spoke, his words seemed harsh and disjointed, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.

"U-Udonna?" he rasped. "Where are we? What's going on?" Based on the confused tone alone, warning signals went off in her mind, but she maintained a calm exterior.

"Do you not remember the last nineteen years? Have they been blocked from your memory?" He glanced to her, eyes caught deep in thought as he dredged through the bog of his own mind.

"The last thing I remember is fighting the Master from within the Gates, hoping it would purge me of my wrongdoings and eradicate him from this world, and then -" He shook his head softly, attempting to dislodge nearly twenty years worth of memory. "- and then I was here with you." Eyes turning serious, he left his gaze on her. "What happened to me? To us?" Fear crept into his features. "To Bowen?" For the first time, she smiled.

"Bowen is alive and well, raised by humans under his true name, but still carrying on our legacy as the Red Mystic Ranger, chosen one of Ignos and the Light. Judging by the sound of things, and your fully returned state, I'd say that he has completed a large part of that role in his destiny. But enough of that. We must find Nick and Madison."

As she helped him to stand, he queried, "Who is Madison? And is this Nick our Bowen?" She let him lean on her good shoulder, each helping the other stay steady as they slowly began to move forward.

"Yes, this Nick is indeed our Bowen. Madison is the Blue Mystic Ranger, and his girlfriend." Leanbow smiled, a gesture that had not been seen on his features with such honesty in many years.

"Ah, love between teammates. Hearkens back to our days, doesn't it?" They shared coy smiles, but the reality of where they were dawned on Leanbow all too soon, breaking the moment. "Are we in the Underworld?" Udonna nodded. "I can understand why I am here, but why are you here, and with two Rangers?"

"Five Rangers, actually," she corrected. "Three of them are on rescue missions, as am I."

"And the other two?"

"One was a servant to the Queen of the Vampires, and the other was under the influence of the darkness. They are the ones being rescued, along with you." Leanbow shook his head dejectedly.

"I remember none of my time here, but I have the feeling that I've done nothing to atone for my past evils."

"Do not worry about that right now. When we are safe in Root Core, then you can worry."

"But how can we get back? No followers of the light can summon the magic to leave without losing their power forever." A grin flashed across her face.

"Leave that to Nick and Madison." When he gave her a questioning look, she shook her head. "You shall see. First," she said, taking out her wand, "we need to find them. _Cuspis ut Nick_." Like before, it began to hover over her open palm, snowflake crystal shining like a white flashlight. It guided them expertly through the intricate passages of the Underworld, never leading them astray. Only a half dozen minutes or so passed before they were once again standing in an entrance to a cavern, but only two people were in it, neither of which was Nick.

Xander, skin once again its warm tan color, kneeled next to a still body - that of Vida, Udonna realized with a short gasp. He watched her intently, fear not hidden in his features. Glistening blood lay stagnant in a pool around her, a fresh trickle occasionally spilling out.

Just as Xander heard her gasp and looked up, and Udonna began to wonder not only what had happened here, but what had gone wrong with her spell to lead them to this place, a yellow blur came to a sudden halt between the two parties. In its wake stood two disoriented magicians and a third who only seemed frantic.

"How can we save her?" the third asked aloud, coming to his knees next to the Pink Witch. Maddie, instantly snapped out of her dizziness by the sight of her sister, was next to her friend in an instant.

"Oh, god. What happened to her?" She allowed her hand to touch down on Vida's body, but recoiled when she felt the lukewarm blood. Chip's eyes seemed to water up at the question, but he answered nonetheless.

"I - I was shooting the Dawn Crystal at Necrolai, and I thought V was trapped. I guess she found a way out of Xander's cage, because she jumped right in front of it." Guilt was weighing down on him heavily, and she could tell how hard it was for him to recall all of this. "It went right through her and into Necrolai, who poofed into dust. At least she isn't a vampire anymore," he laughed weakly, trying to lighten the seemingly hopeless situation.

Xander, quiet through everything, stood up and crossed the room, giving Nick a distracted pat on the back as he passed him. The Red Ranger visually followed the Green Ranger's movements, finally noticing the adults in another archway, both seeming near exhausted. Positioning himself between them, Xander easily supported and guided them over to the group.

"Together again, eh?" he joked, no sign of strain in his voice. No one else seemed so awake, Chip and Madison lost in thoughts of saving Vida, Udonna and Leanbow beyond tired and Nick just staring at them. Before he could stammer a hello to them, Madison grabbed his arm and yanked him over to her.

"You healed me, right?" she asked, pulling him down to her side.

"Yeah, I think... " he responded slowly, mind too muddled by the events of the past few minutes to follow her meaning.

"Well, thinking is good enough. Think you can do the same for Vida?" Udonna gave the pair an interested glance, but Nick didn't notice, sending Maddie a wary look.

"I can try, but I can't promise anything. I don't even know how I did it earlier."

"Just try," Maddie insisted. The duo shared gazes for another second, Nick hesitant and Maddie insistent, and Nick gave in after only a moment longer. He lowered his hands to the still bleeding wound, hovering over but not quite touching the soaked fabric of her uniform. Eyes falling shut, he focused on what he'd been feeling when he'd healed Maddie earlier: undying love, passion and the need to exact beautifully calculated revenge on her enemies. These powerful emotions once again surged through him, and he latched onto them before they fled him again.

Seconds turned into minutes as he concentrated on these feelings, but he felt nothing. Trying for another minute or so, he'd almost given up until the moment he opened his eyes and saw the soft red glow lying dormant in his palms. It went nowhere, only pulsating, and he wondered why it wasn't working, what he was doing wrong.

'_You must touch the wound itself,'_ whispered a strong voice from the ether. Knowing by now to trust these para-instincts, he let his hands move down to the open edges, tearing away the blood-encrusted parts of her shirt. Forcing himself not to think about it, he touched his hands down to the cool, sticky flesh on either side of her gaping wound. The warm red light in his hands spread to every inch of where their skin made contact, drawing some color to the areas. It absorbed into her body, moving from his hands to her torso in a steady flow. Slowly but surely, the wound through her gut began to mend itself, first the exposed organs, those pierced or damaged, and then the flesh itself.

Everyone in the room, save for Madison, stared on in awe at this feat. Udonna smiled slightly, while Leanbow cocked his head in thought. Xander helped the pair stand steady while still watching Nick, and Chip watched in pure joy.

After another minute, the light faded away and the last tiny repair was made, leaving everyone to hold their breath in anticipation. No more than a few fractions of a second passed, though it seemed like an eternity, until she inhaled sharply, eyes snapping open. When she glanced around at the crowd she'd inadvertently gathered, her brow creased together.

"Uhh... Hi guys. What's going on?" She propped herself up on her elbows, Nick, Madison and Chip backing up to give her some room.

"Don't you remember?" Chip asked tentatively.

Shaking her head, she replied, "No. What happened?" She looked suspiciously to every person, Nick and Leanbow mostly. "They're good now, right?" Maddie giggled through her joyous tears, nodding enthusiastically.

"Yeah, they're good again. Thankfully," she added as an afterthought, "or you probably wouldn't be with us right now." Vida's confusion, which had been lessening as everything came back to her, deepened again.

"Care to elaborate, sis? I know I was injured and everything -"

"I wouldn't call a hole I can see through just being injured," Xander interjected.

"- but what do they have to do with it?" she continued, giving Xander a short, withering look.

"Well, not both of them. Mostly Nick - he healed you. Chip helped, too. He got us here." Pausing, a confusing epiphany burst into her thoughts. "How did you get us here? I didn't know you learned how to teleport." Besides the fact that it didn't really feel like teleporting, at least not any kind she'd experienced. Teleporting was instantaneous, and you could almost feel yourself in both places while being in neither.

What Chip had done (and this was assuming that it was even Chip's doing) was far from teleportation. She knew she'd been moving of her own accord, at least partially, only keeping up with Chip because he led her by the hand, and Nick through her. Everything around her had seemed to slow, so surreal and with a slightly yellow tint. At the same time, she herself felt fast, unstoppable, like pure energy.

And then it had stopped, and everything had become normal again. She wasn't quite sure what had happened, but it most definitely wasn't teleportation.

"I'm not really sure," Chip admitted. "I didn't teleport. I was just in here and I wanted to find you guys so you could help V, and then I'm there, looking at you guys and really confused. I'm not sure what I did."

"The Ancients have seen your worth and need and given the help that was within their realm to grant," Udonna stated. "I'll elaborate further once we are safely away from here. For now, I'd be happy if we simply escaped."

"I'll do it," Madison and Nick simultaneously volunteered. They turned to look at each other, Maddie shaking her head.

"I can do it," she added. "You just healed V. I can imagine that it isn't exactly refreshing." He opened his mouth to protest, but Udonna held up her hand.

"You both shall. Not only have you both fought, a tiring venture, no doubt, but to teleport a group such as ours alone after already using so much of your power tonight could magically exhaust you. It will be better if you both teleport us." Accepting her logic with a nod, the two held out their hands. Chip helped Vida up, thrilled that she was still alive, and Xander helped Udonna and Leanbow hobble over. Each person somehow took a hold of the person next to them.

When they'd guaranteed that everyone was attached somehow to the next, the pair chorused, "_Uthe norquas ozarro_." It took only a second for a spell seal, shining every shade of red, blue, purple and gold all at once, to engulf them, delivering the group within Root Core moments later.

Almost instantly, Clare was on them, helping Xander support Udonna and Leanbow and guide them to chairs at the center table. The whole time, she stared at Leanbow, eyes never leaving the familiar but unplaced face.

"Ummm... Do I know you?" she ventured timidly as he sat down. He searched her soft features, familiarity coming over him as well.

"I am Leanbow," he stated, searching the memories he did have for that face, those wavy blonde locks, the features he knew he should remember, what with the fondness they evoked.

Then, without warning, it hit him. Could it be? He'd thought she'd died, but feelings could be deceiving, especially when dark magic was busy wreaking havoc with your soul. ". . . Niella?" The words were so quiet, she would've missed them had she been paying any less attention. Her face, which had brightened when he'd mentioned his name, fell considerably.

"No, I'm not Niella. Mom died when I was little," she replied sadly. "I'm Clare, Uncle Leanbow." For a moment, he seemed saddened by her words, but a tiny smile grew on his face as he processed her last statement. When he'd last seen her, she'd barely hit three years, and here she was now, an adult and remarkably like her mother.

"And if you're here... " she added a moment later, pieces falling together in her mind. Her eyes only roamed the room for a minute before falling on Nick. "Oh, yay! Nick's back!" He quite suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a bear hug, something he'd grown oddly accustomed to lately, and half of his face was quickly smothered by a blanket of golden hair.

"Hi, Clare," he managed, blowing some of the hair away from his mouth. She leaned back and grinned wildly.

"Be happy! Our family is all together again! Well, except for Mom, but the past can't be changed, right?" She exhaled loudly. "Wow. The last time I saw you, you were just an itty-bitty baby."

"Clare, the last time you saw me was a few weeks ago."

"Yeah, but I didn't know we were cousins then! Udonna only told me a few days ago." For a moment, he looked at her confusedly, but that melted away as he remembered Madison's words from only a few days prior, combined with things he'd learned earlier. Udonna was his mother, and Niella her sister, which made her his aunt and Clare his cousin. His family was expanding in leaps and bounds.

"I only remembered the truth last week, child," Udonna stated, exhaustion on the fringes of her voice. "Believe me, you would've known much sooner had I not been under a spell." This last statement was directed at both Nick and Clare, who'd stepped back from her cousin only a moment earlier.

"I'm just glad to be back."

"And I'm glad my family is back," Clare added.

"And I'm glad to be alive," Vida threw in.

"I'll second that," Maddie stated with a grin.

"Well, I'm just happy that this whole ordeal is over," Xander appended.

"Yeah," Chip said. "Necrolai's dead, Nick's good, Vida's human and Koragg is Leanbow."

"But Leelee and Morticon are still out there," Vida added, bringing down the mood. Nick shook his head in disagreement.

"I don't know about Leelee. She never seemed really evil when I was down there. It was more like she was just trying to fit in. Believe me, she doesn't enjoy it down there."

"I don't know..."

"Can we just trust me for now? I know what I'm talking about." Vida nodded slowly, letting a silence descend upon the room. It lasted only a minute or two, as Chip soon spoke the question he'd been pondering for a while now.

"So who are these Ancients? I know the Xenotome is written in their language, but who are they? And what do they have to do with these new powers?"

Udonna took a moment to focus herself, to fall back into mentor mode after such a chaotic morning, then responded, "Eons ago, our dimension was one with yours. Humans lived in peace with mythical creatures such as elves and fairies, and all knew of the magical arts, teaching their own to one another. Then, there were no basic forms to magic, only personal styles and overall chaos. For hundreds of years it continued this way, until the day when eleven great magicians rose up. They established the eleven branches of magic, giving it order and form, and greatly increasing its power.

"Together, they were the most powerful magicians in existence, and each of their branches alone was more powerful than the chaotic magic as a whole. They amassed many followers who were attracted to the specific aspects of that branch. The core five established the main elemental magicks. Ignos represented fire, Viscan earth, Aerika air, Undelle water and Levitas lightning. They took on many followers, many more than the other six, but this did not matter to them, for they were all friends. They all taught their magicks to any true followers, who then passed their knowledge onto their own apprentices. Their own power grew as their legions of followers increased, and they eventually became the physical embodiment of their branch, forging new bodies as a perfect mix of their human forms and magical powers.

"Soon after, a small group of rejected followers, not of pure enough heart to learn anything more than basics, came together, angered by their rejection. They found a powerful warrior and magician, craving power, to be their leader and waged war against the Ancients, as they would later be named, amassing armies rapidly by way of the newly forged art of raising the dead. Thus, dark magic was born. Though they were soundly defeated by the armies of light magic, they went into exile for many years, and the followers of light magic went back to peace.

"That, unfortunately, was not meant to last. Some humans, with their expanding knowledge of the sciences, began to fear magic and its followers, human and mythical creature alike. This began a war that was not as easy as the previous one, for fighting old friends and family is never easy, and, in the end, the Ancients died to create our realm, the magical dimension we reside in now, and separate it from your human world. Only a handful of places remained as connections between the two worlds, left in case of any emergency, and the humans of your world soon forgot about magic, save for fairy tales and a select few who remained there to keep order.

"In our world, the Ancients ascended to pure magic, truly becoming the essence of their branch. Their powers were now limitless, and they fueled their branches for anyone who chose them, granting more or less power case by case. More was given to those who proved themselves worthy, and less to those only seeking power to conquer and destroy. The core five became known as the Ancient Titans, while the other six were called the Ancient Mystics."

"Wait, wait, wait," Chip interjected. "If there are eleven branches of magic, why have we only heard of six?"

"Because, young warrior," replied Leanbow, giving Udonna a chance to rest, "the core five branches are the most common, and the other six generally appear less often. Some, like Luria, Solus, Fortis and Reiku, hand pick one avatar and a few other champions, while Cias chooses a several champions and the few dozen magicians who accept the path, like Udonna."

"And me," Clare added.

"But that's only five more. What about the sixth?" Leanbow shook his head slightly.

"Sadly, Aika no longer supports her magic. It became abused, used to change things to the advantage of the wrong sides and alter necessary events." Chip arched a confused and interested set of eyebrows.

"What was her branch of magic?"

"She created the magic of time." The young man nodded thoughtfully.

"And who are those other ones that you named? Luria, Solus, Fortis, all of them."

Not hesitating, the elder warrior began, knowing all of this information from memory and experience. "Luria is the patron of the moon. She chooses only one follower, a Gatekeeper from each generation that would protect the Gates of the Underworld. The Underworld was in fact her creation, a prison for the condemned, living and dead. Our own Niella was the Gatekeeper of our generation. Solus is the Mystic of the Sun. He grants the Solaris Knight powers to a worthy avatar, most often in times of need. My apprentice Daggeron was his chosen. Fortis was the leader of all of the Ancients, master of both the magical and warrior arts. I was his own, and used his power to lead our old team of Mystic Warriors. Reiku presided over magical knowledge and cunning, and he took another student of mine, Calindor, as his representative. We took their forms at the most necessary times, becoming the whole of their power and our own.

"Unlike the other Mystics, Cias chooses to allow many followers, but very few choose her path, for it is long and difficult. The core five, the Ancient Titans, let in any who choose their way, but never grant power higher than that of Knighthood. You five, though, are exceptions, being the Legendary Ones of prophesy. For ages, it had been told that when the darkness rose up again, a magician from each branch would rise up and defeat it for all time, ending the war that the Ancients themselves had been apart of all those millennia ago. For a time, the other Mystic Warriors and I thought that we were these legendary heroes, but we never received the power that was meant for these prophesied ones alone: Mystic Ranger power. Still, we fought the darkness back and won, at least for a while. Only with your arrival could it truly end, though."

Chip once again nodded appreciatively, absorbing the information, then asked, "So how does that effect Nick and I having these weird new powers?" He zipped across the room in a flash of yellow light to reiterate his point.

"As these prophesied magicians, you afforded much more power than any previous follow of your branch. It was simply the right time to receive these powers, both related to your element."

"But what does healing have to do with fire? I thought it was a destructive element," Nick protested.

"Ah, but it is also a healing, cleansing agent, used by many cultures to burn away the old so new growth can appear. And, Chip, is it?" he asked, turning to the Yellow Magician. "Your newfound speed is obvious: as light is fast, so are you."

"And the rest of us?" Xander inquired. "Are we not important enough for new powers?"

Shaking his head at the young man's question, Leanbow replied, "You, too, will receive these new abilities when you need them the most. Your individual abilities always spawn from your elemental characteristics, and so shall these." The quintet of teens accepted this, but it was Madison's turn to ask a question.

"Okay, another thing about these Ancients: if ours are known as the Titans, then what are our Titan forms?"

"Ah, an easy question," Udonna said. "You see, each Ancient Titan chose an animal or being to be their chosen race. Your Titan forms, not the first you may receive, are reinvented bodies of each branch's representative, made to combat creatures larger than yourself. Viscan chose the minotaur, Aerika the sprite, Levitas the garuda, Undelle the mermaid and Ignos the phoenix. These beings, those few that still exist in either world, are yours too, for you are the avatars of their masters."

Leanbow, taking the fresh lull in the conversation as a cue, looked between the young magicians and asked, "Is that all?" It took a moment, but then the general murmurs of assent cropped up. "Good. Then I'd advise you all to go back to your homes, your lives. I get the impression that it has been a long day, even though it's barely midday."

"I'd like Nick and Madison to stay for a while longer, if you both could," Udonna added. The pair shared a glance and nodded, giving the other three their goodbyes. When only the five were left in the room, Udonna again spoke up.

"Leanbow, though you have met him before, I feel I must reintroduce you to our son Bowen, though he goes by Nick now. Until a few months prior, he knew nothing of our world, and only occasional acts of magic that forced him into denial of its existence. Today, he fulfilled part of the prophesy." Nick looked at her confusedly.

"What do you mean?"

"Each one of you Rangers has had many prophesies made of your powers, existence and destiny, but you the most of all. You may be familiar with the line 'a dark phoenix, raised by the light, shall bring an end to his beginnings.'"

"But how does that even make sense? My 'beginnings' were in the light." She gave him a small smile.

"Not true. You were born during a battle of the Great War that took place on dark soil. And, if I'm not mistaken, you destroyed the Master while still evil, did you not?" He nodded. "Then a dark phoenix brought an end to his beginnings, at least partially. We do not know if Morticon will continue the fight, or if any other warriors will join their forces. Only time can tell us that." A hush fell over the smaller group, lasting only a few moments until Nick asked the question on the forefront of his mind.

"So you're really my mother?" he asked, voice softened to the point of being just a few notches above inaudible. "And you two are..." He gestured between Udonna and Leanbow. "... married?" Udonna smiled slightly at his disbelief.

"It is true, Nick, unbelievable as it may seem to you. If Phineas had not used his magic to alter my memories, I would've told you when you joined us again. You look too much like your father for me to not recognize you."

"But he has your eyes," Leanbow added, giving her reason to smile.

"Yes, yes he does. Quite startling, really, but things can work in such strange ways sometimes."

"Says the sorceress who trains Power Rangers," Maddie muttered playfully, evoking grins from her elders.

"Maddie, I assume?" inquired Leanbow, giving her a once-over. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I am. Good to see that you like me a bit more now." He cocked an eyebrow, and she went on to explain. "We weren't exactly on the best terms when you were Koragg." At the name, he winced.

"Is that really where I've been these past twenty years? They turned me into Koragg again?"

"I'm afraid so," Udonna replied reluctantly, knowing exactly how he'd react.

Pressing the heels of his palms into the lower part of his forehead and elbows carefully propped on his knees, he let out a deep sigh.

"What have I done? I thought my actions beyond the Gates would be my end, that they would absolve me of my sins, but they only brought more to my name." He let out a disgusted growl. "And why can I remember none of it?" On his feet before all of his words were even out, he was pacing across the room, a foul mood gracing his aura. A set of books on the shelf were suddenly alight, the crisp, ancient paper burning quickly.

Nick already had his wand out, murmuring "_Extinguo_" while Maddie gave him a strange look.

"What was that for?" she asked, confused by why he'd do such a thing when he seemed so peaceful.

"It wasn't me," he protested, just as confused by what had just happened himself. Smoke rose off the damaged, but now unlit, tomes, prompting him to add, "_Restituo libri_." The bit of red light fixed the charred pages, but Leanbow kept pacing, self-anger rolling off him in waves. Udonna stood up next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Do not berate yourself for what was beyond your control. The Master was strong, beyond our comprehension, and resisting his will is impossible."

"But why can I remember none of it?"

"Yeah, it's confusing us all. That, and why the books caught on fire," Nick interjected, nodding his head at the now repaired books, coils of smoke still lingering around the shelves. Leanbow glanced at where Nick had indicated, sighing slightly.

"That was my fault, I believe. For all the mastery I have over my magic, it fades away when I'm angry." Nick smiled a tiny smile. His father's words echoed his own from a few months back, albeit in a more eloquent way. Maddie simply gave her elder a curious look, to which he responded, "Fortis and Ignos were brothers, and they shared the same interest in magicks. Both developed the branch of fire magic that Nick uses, but Fortis soon moved away from his brother's studies, wishing to meld magic with fighting techniques. While Ignos further pushed his fire magic, Fortis blended what he already knew with the weapons he used, creating the warrior magic of today. That leaves the few followers of warrior magic with the secondary power of fire, not quite of the magnitude of an experienced Red Wizard." Maddie nodded appreciatively at this new knowledge, but Nick remained curious about another subject.

"So why doesn't he remember anything?" he asked his newfound mother. "I mean, I remember everything about the past few weeks, and you remember everything even though you were spelled."

"There are a few key differences between those examples, though. You were not under a memory alteration spell, but one to affect your personality. I was under a memory spell like Leanbow, but only one spell. I suspect that the Master reinforced his magic many times, necessary when dealing with a strong-willed person unwillingly placed under such a spell. If done enough, it would have the power to eventually block away the other consciousness."

"So let's just use the magic I used on you to bring back his memories," Maddie suggested, trying to be of some help.

"I fear there may be no way to reverse this. The Master was very strong," Leanbow said, despondence in his voice. He nearly began another sentence, but caught himself as another thought hit him. "You did destroy the Master, didn't you?" Twinges of fear were in his words, the fear that they'd assumed too much.

"Yeah, at least I think I did," the teen responded. "He was attacking Maddie, but I stopped that after a quick bit of brainwashing from him. After I got her out of the way, I attacked him back while he kept trying to take control of me again. I stabbed his pit with my sword and all of this golden light poured out of me and into him, and then he was gone. That's the gist of it." Both adults smiled slightly.

"So much has happened in so little time," Udonna said, gentle reverie in her voice. "It is astounding what magic alone has brought together."

"And broken apart," Leanbow muttered, earning himself a good-natured smack on the shoulder.

"That is in the past, and it cannot be changed, but we forge our futures now. Can you not be happy with your family, all together once again? The Master is gone and you are free. We are together again. Our son has returned, and he has Madison. Life, in this moment, is good. Be happy!" Faced with her exuberant words, he couldn't help but grin, pulling her into a joyous embrace. Nick and Maddie, hesitating only to give each other brilliant smiles, did the same, Nick twirling her through the air as the light-hearted moment overtook the room.

"It feels good to be good again," he laughed as her feet touched down on the ground again, whole body radiating glee. "I missed you," he added, realizing how much hadn't been said yet. "It was so weird down there, always either fighting or just being bored, and no surface trips made it unbearable. Don't ever let me do that again."

"Even for my life?" she asked with a mock frown, eyes defying this with their sheen. He scoffed back.

"Aw, come on. We'd have figured something out if we'd had more time. We always do." Though this wasn't particularly funny, they both grinned and burst into short spurts of giggles, coming together again. Their laughter, paired with Clare's joyous squeals as she pulled the couples into a family group hug, resounded through the cathedral ceilinged room, amazing acoustics for a building carved into a tree.

Surrounded by the family he'd just recently regained, not to mention the ever-so-wonderful Madison, Nick felt like life was perfect for the first time in months. No zombie attacks, no giant monsters, no evil father hellbent on his return to the darkness, nothing threatening what could've been something great. Only the echoing laughter and warm contact as his family shared the hug for another moment. Everything was calm again, and he had the feeling it'd be that way, at least for a week or two until the bits and pieces of the darkness pulled themselves together again. Right now, though, that seemed so far off, a distant destination on their path. They'd deal with it when they got there.

Still, he knew there was one thing he had to do.

* * *

A hazy light broke through the darkness that had until now engulfed her being, forcing her to push toward consciousness. As feeling seeped down from her mind, she began to notice the stiffness in her limbs, how alien they felt. There was no strength in them, nor was there anywhere else in her body. If anyone had been watching, all they would've seen were her eyes struggling open.

She took in the bleak, jagged texture of the ceiling above her as another feeling crept across her flesh: intense cold, chilling but not in the least bit odd feeling, as if it were natural to feel so. To say that this confused her would've been an understatement; she was utterly baffled.

What exactly had happened? The last thing she could remember was hightailing it away from Nick as the Mystics got closer. She may have been a vampire princess, but she wasn't too keen on fighting, let alone the Rangers. Sure, she'd done it once, and done quite nicely, but that had only proven to her how much she didn't like doing so. Fighting them just felt... wrong.

Even her plan, a last attempt to see how evil she really was, had obviously not gone so well, at least on her part. She was passed out on the floor, feeling absolutely terrible. Not a good sign. But that still didn't answer her question: what had happened to her?

Building up a minimal amount of strength, she feebly got to her feet. She patted her shoulders and hair gingerly, and immediately knew that something was wrong.

Instead of her normally wavy golden hair, a thin veil of nylon-like skin, incredibly durable, hung from its own jutting stalk of perfectly blended smooth skin and rigid bone. In between those, one of which pointed at angles out from either side of her head, was a long, mohawk-ish tuft of hair. Ignoring the sickening realization that was dawning on her, she broke into a dead run toward her room, legs pulling her in the correct direction despite her lack of energy moments earlier, while her mind was elsewhere. The shiny black skin of her arms was entrancing, as were the heeled boots and leather bodysuit that seemed to have joined to her skin now.

Faint glimmers of candlelight caught her eyes as she neared her chamber, whispering quiet prayers that this was only an incredibly vivid dream and not the harsh reality it felt like. With a blur of purple and black she was in her room, eyes clamped firmly shut as she arrived in front of her vanity mirror. It all seemed like some terrible nightmare, her worst fear possibly becoming a reality.

Though it took all of her will to do so, she hesitantly peeked one eye open. In the few seconds that it took for everything to come into focus, the truth hit her like a sixteen-ton weight, and she couldn't deny it now that it was presented so obviously before her eyes.

Leelee Pimvare, the vampire princess who tried to fit in with the darkness and hated every moment of it, was the Queen of the Vampires.

* * *

_A/N_ - Ha ha! A fairly quick update, at least by my standards. Sadly, this brings us one step closer to the end. The next chapter will be the epilogue. That's not where this ends, though. There's a sequel, currently in the process of being written, and possibly an assembly of short stories that weren't big enough for their own chapters, a kind of 'lost chapters' montage. Those two are a bit off though, seeing as this still has one last part before it ends. Hope you enjoyed it!


	18. Epilogue

The sun seemed brighter than usual today, as if it too was celebrating how great everything was. Only yesterday had they rescued Vida, Nick and Leanbow from the darkness, though it seemed ages away. It had been a serious battle on all three fronts, but they'd made it out whole, some skirting closer to the edge than they would've liked.

Still, they'd all made it to Root Core in one piece and, after many explanations, group hugs and more than a few kisses between couples, they'd all been allowed to go back to their regular lives. Chip, Vida and Xander, all dismissed before the couple of Nick and Madison, had gone to the Rock Porium, some to take up the shifts they had shirked for part of the day and others just to hang out.

When they too had been allowed to leave, Nick and Madison had gone for a short bike ride and then out to lunch (Nick had been desperate for real food, and not something you just conjured). Their night, polar opposite of how the morning had unfolded, was rounded out by hanging around the Rock Porium until it closed and then going home. She didn't know about anyone else, but Maddie knew that she'd had the best sleep she'd had in weeks that night.

Jarring her musings on the brilliance that had been the latter half of yesterday, Maddie found herself in front of the Rock Porium before she knew it. She'd chosen to leave home early and walk to work today rather than catching a ride or teleporting, but the trip had been lost to the tornado of thoughts whirling around her mind. Now that she'd arrived, she forced her mind to ground itself in reality once more and walked inside.

Even at ten in the morning a handful of teens were milling about, enjoying their last week of freedom before school reared its ugly head. The purple of an employee button-down flashed past her as she surveyed the customers, and she squinted to see who is was through the combination of bright sunlight flooding in and dim lighting of the store itself. Dark hair, a paled tan, black t-shirt with a red ringer collar underneath the work shirt - obviously Nick. But why was he working today? He wasn't scheduled.

Moving out of the doorway so a few patrons could go in and out, she glanced around the room. Xander was lounging on a chair, strumming away on a ukelele and entirely lost in his music, while Chip had constructed a makeshift fort out of books, CDs and vinyls around himself so he could read his graphic novel in peace next to Xander's chair. Neither wore their work shirts, despite being scheduled. In fact, only Nick and Vida seemed to be working, and you really couldn't call what Vida was doing work. She stood behind her turntables, experimentally spinning a new record back and forth while tweaking the settings and taking note every time she heard something she liked. Hadn't she been scheduled to work the register today? And Chip and Xander were supposed to be working, too. What was going on?

Approaching Nick, who was stocking a shelf with the latest in thrash metal and the like, she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Just a minute," he replied distractedly, not looking back at her.

"I can wait." Hearing her voice, a grin spread across his face, but he continued his stock work.

"Hey, Maddie. What's up?"

"Just coming in for my shift, but I'm a little confused. Why are you working today, and why aren't Chip and Xander?"

"You know I'd love to explain, but first I need to finish this, and there's a customer," Nick answered, nodding his head at the young woman milling about around the counter, CD in hand. "If you wouldn't mind getting her, then I can bring you up to speed when we're both done." Not pushing him to know but still slightly hesitant, she obligingly slid on her work shirt and went to ring up the young woman.

A few minutes later, when Nick emptied his crate of new releases, he ambled over to Maddie and slid his arms around her waist, enjoying the very feeling of being able to be with her up here and not have to worry about constant mental intrusions. She let her body melt back against his, having had no more purchases since the young woman.

What could have been ages of this passed until, finally, Maddie asked again, "So why are you working today? And why are Xander and Chip just hanging around?" He released his hold on her and she turned to look him in the eyes, hoping to evoke more answers with her gaze. The bright green orbs she stared into were no longer pristine, but still bore the occasional fleck of red, several shades lighter than they'd originally been and forever a reminder of his time in the darkness.

"It's my fault, really," he said, breaking her gaze on his tainted eyes. "I took as many of their shifts as Toby would let me, Vida's too, without pay. They're getting the checks. I guess it's my little attempt at an 'I'm sorry,' but it doesn't really cut it."

"But you don't even need to say sorry to me?" she asked, acting as she was hurt. Truthfully, he didn't need to say sorry. His actions weren't exactly his own, and she knew why he did it.

"You think too little of me," he replied pridefully, puffing out his chest in a mockery of self-importance. When she arched an eyebrow, he grinned and continued normally. "Of course I thought of you. If this hardly cuts it for them, it wouldn't be anything for you. That's why I have something planned for us tonight. Pick you up at seven, okay?" Curious and confused, she nodded complacently. He gave her another grin, placed a kiss on top of her head and went back to work.

For the rest of the day, he refused to divulge any details, even when subjected to her random questioning. By the time he left at four, she was going crazy with curiosity, and hurried home when her shift ended an hour later.

She didn't spend those two hours fretting over hair, make-up or clothes - her mind just didn't work like that - but come six-thirty, she was getting worried. Not only had she not chosen an outfit, or the make-up and hairstyle to go with it, but Vida wouldn't stop teasing her when she wasn't trying to help her choose clothes.

Ignoring the outlandish suggestions Vida offered, she settled on a sky blue tank top and a flared tan skirt, just below the knees, with a pair of leather sandals. Vida helped to pull her twin's hair into two loose buns near the base of her neck while she applied a light layer of nude make-up, killing two birds with one stone, at least in their own way. She'd just finished filling her small blue clutch purse with the date essentials when the doorbell rang, making both girls jump. They rushed down to the front door, but their mother had already answered it.

"Hello Nick," she greeted warmly, motioning the young man inside. He'd been to their house several times before, and their parents knew him fairly well, liking any boy who could bring Madison out of her shell so well and make her so happy.

Before closing the door she peeked out onto the street in front of their home. "Where's your motorcycle?" she asked, knowing well the machine and the rest of its kind from days long past. He glanced back worriedly at the street, forgetting for a moment that he hadn't driven it here tonight. A grin spread across his face when he realized that it hadn't disappeared, but had been left at Gracey's, and he turned to look at Mrs. Rocca again.

"I decided to do this the right way tonight. Figured the motorcycle wasn't the best way to take Maddie on a date. It took some bargaining, but I got Gracey to let me take her car." Maddie looked around him and saw what he was talking about: a black sports car was parked in front of their house. It was nice, to say the least, but not in the least surprising for someone like Gracey. Like her brother, she had a thing for speed, but in a less 'Rebel Without a Cause', more sophisticated way.

"It's very nice," her mother commented, earning a smile from the young man.

"Thanks, Mrs. Rocca. I guess the need for speed runs in my family."

Her smile broadened as she replied, "I've told you time and time again, please call me Gwen. Mrs. Rocca makes me feel . . . old." She paused as he smiled and nodded, then decidedly changed the direction of the conversation. "So where are you taking my little girl?" she probed, fishing for a detail or two about this sudden mystery date. He only shook his head.

"I can't tell. It would ruin the surprise."

"Aww, such a killjoy." She grinned and he rolled his eyes playfully.

"If you really have to know . . ." He leaned over and whispered the answer into her ear, her eyes widening almost comically.

"Oh, my," she said as he leaned back, a large smile spreading across her face. "Maddie really is lucky to have a guy like you." At the compliment, he blushed a bit, cheeks attempting to match the color of his dark red button-down and failing miserably. Gwen inwardly smiled and added, "Well, I shouldn't keep you two. Just bring her home before midnight, okay?"

"Won't be a problem," he replied, taking Maddie's hand and guiding her out the door to the black Eclipse waiting for them. Opening her door for her, he helped her in and then went to his own side, climbing in and turning it on, engine revving as if in anticipation of getting to move again. They pulled away from the house in a relative silence, but as soon as they were out of the sight of Vida and Gwen, who'd watched from the window as they left, Maddie began talking.

"So where are we going?" she asked, trying to make eye contact with him by turning. It was harder to lie when you had to look into someone's eyes.

Not taking his eyes off the road, he answered, "Like I said, I can't say. It would ruin the surprise."

"Then why'd you tell my mom?"

"She can't tell you now."

"Prove it."

"I don't need to. Unless you used magic on her, there's no way you can ask without me knowing. Anyway, I trust her."

"Fine then," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as if she way actually mad. "You can at least tell me how you got Gracey to lend you her car." A wince overtook his features as she asked, but it was merely a reflex to the memory.

"I had to let her use my bike for the rest of the week," he admitted. "She wouldn't let me barter with anything else." Grinning at how paining the very thought of letting Gracey use his motorcycle was to him, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Well, it's good to know that you're still willing to make the occasional sacrifice for me," she joked, earning a smile.

"Always."

The conversation continued after that, Maddie too drawn in to notice as they made their way into the heart of Briarwood's downtown. The couple talked about anything that came up, moving from topic quickly and seamlessly whether it was lighthearted or serious. As they pulled to a stop in the parking lot of a restaurant, their words died away and Maddie finally took in the semi-tall buildings around her. Her eyes fell on the establishment not thirty feet from them, smile fading as she read the name emblazoned on the side.

Marglianos. The most expensive Italian restaurant in Briarwood, and certainly the hardest to get reservations at. It was supposed to have the best Italian food you'd ever taste. If you went there, you knew that this date was going to be something special.

Aside from that, there was only one problem: she hated Italian food. Well, not specifically Italian food itself; it was mostly Marglianos she disliked. For her and Vida's tenth birthday, their parents had taken them out to celebrate there. Everything had gone exceptionally well until Vida, thinking she was being funny, dropped a frog down her twin's dress. Chaos had ensued as both parents, a waiter and Maddie herself had tried to get the frog out of her dress while Vida leaned back and laughed hysterically. The debacle had quickly turned to trying to catch the frog without bothering the other patrons, a fruitless task without Vida tipping her chair over backwards on the head chef, who'd come to see what all the racket was about. By the end of the night, the entire restaurant was near shambles, Vida was grounded for a month and had a bloody lip, their parents had to apologize to the old lady who'd spilled wine on her expensive silk dress and the trauma had left Maddie with a near paralyzing fear of frogs and an intense dislike for Marglianos, and Italian food by extension.

It really was sweet of Nick to bring her here, but she didn't think she'd be able to make it through a meal there without getting more than a little jumpy. She'd just have to explain to him why she couldn't, and hope that he'd understand.

"Nick, I -"

"- Hate Italian?" he interrupted. "I know." He paused, enjoying her confused look, then continued. "We're not going there."

"Then where are we going?" she asked, a little puzzled. Pointing his thumb behind them, he grinned.

"We have reservations at Casa Rio. I just wanted to mess with you." Fractions of a second later, when his words clicked in her mind, he felt a sharp smack on the back of his head, and his hand was instantly on it. "Yeah, I probably deserved that, but it was still worth it." She couldn't help but let out a small smile as he glanced at the clock in the dashboard. "I think we should get going now. They might give away our table if we're late." Nick jumped out his side and made his way to Maddie's, but she was already out, not wanting to be doted on too much - she was a big girl, after all. Opting to simply take her hand, the pair drifted away from the scent of olive oil and garlic and toward that of cooking oil and fried things.

The rest of the meal proceeded splendidly. Both Nick and Madison had a deep love of Mexican food, Madison because her Grandma Rocca had always made the best tostadas, and Nick because he'd fallen in love during one of his parents' business trips to Mexico. Their conversation picked up where it'd left off before they'd arrived, discussing many of Maddie's films, most of all the secret videographies.

Every so often, when enough had happened, she filmed a few more spots of her friends and then spliced in some magically found footage of the fights they described next to some shots of them just living out their everyday lives in their downtime. It had all started with her simply profiling each person and seeing if she could catch their magic on film. From there, it had branched into a full-fledged documentary, chronicling their battles up to the recent scuffle over the map to the Fire Heart. She'd even managed to copy some memories for a first hand point-of-view of what each Ranger went through in the Cimmerian Forest. It was in desperate need of an update, and talking about it only made her want to do it more.

After they finished eating and Nick paid, they were back in the Eclipse, heading to an unknown location. Not entirely unknown, actually - Nick knew exactly where they were headed - but their destination was yet another surprise to Maddie. They wove out of town and into the more open parts, the ones not occupied by large buildings and restaurants. Several minutes passed until he parked the car in a small parking lot sitting atop a short cliff. Soft blue waves crashed on the beach below them, creating a steady rhythm that captured Maddie. She watched them, utterly transfixed, and Nick smiled at her, entertained.

"Earth to Maddie," he intoned after a minute. Instantly she was snapped out of her trance, turning to look at him. "Why don't we just go down there instead of staring?" Like the idea had only now occurred to her, she grinned madly. That quickly fell as she looked around.

"I think it's closed right now," she said, a slight sadness twinging her voice. His grin refused to fade against this new logic.

"And your point ... ?"

"Well, we can't go down there," she replied, furrowing her brow as she tried to see what he was getting at.

"Who says we can't?"

"The law, I think." She was becoming increasingly suspicious, and his reaction to the whole situation wasn't helping.

"Ah, the law, the law. Such a fickle mistress. Can't always give her what she wants, can we?" Without another word, he took her by the hand and teleported down to the beach. Her sandals sank down into the sand a bit as they touched down a fraction of a second later, Nick still grinning crazily as Maddie gave him a short glare.

"What's going on?" she asked appraisingly, confusion adding to her suspicion as the goings on delved into murkier waters.

He smiled back at her. "Nothing. I just want to be with you on the beach. Why should such a stupid law stop me?"

"Because it's probably there for a reason," she countered. "Are you sure you're really all good again? I did get rid of all of your darkness, right?" His playful smile faded, expression turning serious.

"Madison, you can't just get rid of a part of who I am, especially one that big. It'll always be there, always be a part of me. I can't deny who I am. I'll always be a follower of the light, and I'll fight the darkness until the end of time, but my own darkness still has a place in my life. It's a whole half of my magic, but it isn't the whole thing. If my father could choose the light after being raised evil, then I can choose the light after being raised without any magic. I'll always choose the light. Hell, I _am_ the Light. But that doesn't mean I can't indulge my darkness sometimes," he added. "Helps keep the balance and all."

Though she was still wary, she understood what he was saying and nodded appreciatively.

"Besides, an eight-o-clock lockdown on the beach? Whose dumb idea was that?" She grinned and took his hand again, pulling him closer to the water and to herself.

"Just the city council's. Wouldn't want us teenagers getting too rowdy down here on the weekends, now would they?" He grinned back and let her pull him down to the sand on the edge of the water, just far enough away that the water barely hit their feet. Maddie kicked off her sandals and looked at him with a wicked smile. "Guess they can't stop us magical hooligans, not when one of us has something of a dark streak." Both grinned again, Maddie leaning her head on his shoulder. His arm moved across her back, hand resting on her opposite shoulder without a thought, and bringing a more silent, serious tone to the moment as a whole.

"I was so afraid of losing you," Madison began quietly, staring straight ahead to the ocean. "Sometimes, when things were the worst, I could see someone else in your eyes, someone inhuman and evil, and it wasn't you. That scared me. But sometimes, there was something else in there - I could see you, and you were afraid too, afraid of what you were becoming, of your own darkness. That scared me more, because I could see how little control you had over yourself.

"When things were at their worst, it was all I could do to hold everything together, to make sure we still protected people and looked out for the world, and not just break down or go off on my own little suicide mission to find you. Everyone would tell you that I was as calm and collected as any leader could in times of crisis, but it was all a facade. I was just barely keeping myself together, and everyone else wasn't doing so well either. We could all tell that things were strained, that we were stretched thin, but we knew we had to pretend, for each other and for the people we protect.

"Everything was just so wrong, and I was always scared, for myself and for you, and especially for all of the civilians. I was scared that one day I was going to fall apart or make a mistake and then someone would be dead because of me. I was scared that you would hurt someone, or you'd hurt me, and you'd never be able to forgive yourself. I was just so scared all of the time." With everything off of her chest, she let out a long breath and closed her eyes tiredly. Next to her, Nick nodded.

"I was afraid, too, or at least part of me was. The darkness was consuming me bit by bit, and I couldn't stop it. I spent most of my life pretending it wasn't there, telling myself that I was just imagining the weird urges and random fires, and there it was, taking over every part of my life. You were the one ray of light keeping me grounded and away from total darkness. I know that it was for the best, but when you blocked yourself from me, you took away the one thing keeping complete darkness at bay. By the time we fought, there wasn't much more of me left. You were just in time to save the little part of me that was still there. You pulled me off the edge before it took me and gave me reason to fight back with every bit of strength I could muster. We came so close to losing each other so many times, and I promise I won't ever do that do you again."

As if to seal his words, she felt a soft kiss on top of her head. When he pulled away, she turned her head up to look at him.

"You'd better stick to those words," she said, repressing the smile on her lips. "I can't promise that I'll be as gentle next time." He arched his eyebrows suggestively.

"Really?" he asked curiously. "Maybe I should ..." Her fist connected with his shoulder forcefully, but he just laughed. "I kid, I kid."

"Don't do that. It's not funny."

"Well, I thought it was." By her glare, she really didn't care if he thought it was, and his smile faltered. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he ceded after a moment. "It wasn't really that funny. I think I can make it up to you, though." Before she could inquire as to what he meant, his hands were cupping her face and her eyes had drifted shut, pulled instantly into the moment. Their lips came together, soft skin brushing each other and sending waves of thrilling excitement down their spines. It seemed like forever since she'd felt his lips, and they now held a new passion, different from anything she'd felt previously. There was a soft gentleness to them, a reluctance to push it too far too fast, but still laced by an unhindered passion, bordering but not touching on the lustful. It seemed like the best of both worlds, light and dark blended, and it was ecstasy.

Hours, minutes, moments later, when they pulled apart, Maddie couldn't help but grin like a madwoman. Maybe this whole thing hadn't been so bad. The trip had been a bit tumultuous, but the results were stellar. Even though the past few months had been a wild ride, and that was to say the least, the darkness was now severely weakened and the light was even stronger. Everything had worked out to their advantage.

As she leaned in for another kiss, several thoughts shot off before the passion overtook her brain again. Barely three months as Rangers had passed and already this much had happened; what was next? What is some bigger evil was next? Did they have the potential to beat that, too?

But now was no time to think about that. They had a whole week left before school started, and there was no way the darkness could rebuild that quickly. This was their time, and she was going to seize it.

Their lips met and one last thought managed to fire: things may have been looking up for them, but in no way was this war over, not by a long shot. As long as Morticon and his armies of the undead were still out there, the Mystic Force would have work to do. They'd be there to face the darkness every time, now and forever more.

* * *

_A/N_ - It's ... over. Child of Darkness is over. That feels so weird to type, let alone say out loud. It's hard to believe, especially for me. This is only the fourth story I've ever finished, and the first I've ever been happy with afterward. Exactly seven months ago today, the prologue for this went up and the five reviews I received for it were the push to keep going for me. It's hard to believe that it's really over.

Okay, so it's not really over. Children of Light (the working title for the sequel) is in the process of being written in first draft form, and one 'lost chapter' is already written. I'm thinking of calling the 'lost chapters' story Rangers of Chaos. Any thoughts on the titles of either are appreciated.

CoL is promising to be huge. Lots of story to adapt/write and new ideas flooding my brain every day, so I have a lot of work ahead of me. I can promise that there'll be more Nick/Maddie, but they won't be the entire focus of the story anymore. CoL moves into the broader view of all the Rangers in my sort-of-AU.

As a freebie to everyone looking forward to the sequel, I'd now like to present the (current) detailed overall summary for CoL. And, of course, I like teasing you guys.

With the Master dead, Necrolai gone and Koragg turned good again, the Underworld is in shambles. Morticon must call upon old allies to help him rebuild, along with a mysterious and all-knowing new force, and together they will be more fearsome than anything the Rangers have faced yet. The Rangers face their own challenges, magical or otherwise, along the way, including horns, changing their pasts, alternate timelines, feeling not quite themselves, romance that begins as anything but, Ancients and things they never thought possible. Two worlds will be drawn together and the truth will come out in their senior year of high school, making imprints on the lives of everyone involved.

I hope you liked how CoD ended (I'm really crap at writing a decent ending to a story), and I hope you like CoL when it rolls around! I love every one of you, whether you read and reviewed or simply read, and I can't wait to see some of you next story over. Until then!


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